Time's Scar
by VaneBledsoe
Summary: This is the story of a Hero who payed the price of predestination. Marked with a Scar that constantly reminds him of everything he's lost, and forced to fight with the very Sword that cursed him. Chapter 18: Twilight Hour is now uploaded. Updated ch 4&5!
1. Memories and Nothing More

Disclaimer: This will tell you that I do not own LOZ (duh) or any other Nintendo trade marks. Most characters in this story belong to Nintendo, but _names _of most peripheral characters are my own. This disclaimer applies to all following chapters of this story.

...yeah...that works much, MUCH better...

* * *

**Time's Scar**

**Chapter One: Memories and Nothing More...**

* * *

_Among the shadows there stands a light,  
Among the weak there stands the strong,  
Among the found there is still plight,  
As told by the Ocarina's Song._

___Among the good there stands the evil,  
Among the cowardly there stands the brave,  
Among the enemies there stands a Hero,  
Whose victory is sure in the midst of the fray._

_________Through shadows, fire, water, and light,  
The Hero stands tall and true,  
Upon his hand is a mark of courage,  
To awaken us all--to be made anew.  
_

___________ Over deserts sands, waters depths,  
Pirate bands, and mountain steps,  
Through the fire, and forest wonders,  
And even through time the Hero sunders._

_____________But what lies beneath his perfect frame,  
A tattered heart, A tarnished name,  
Visions of the past, feelings of rage.  
_

_____________Admist the desire for what he cannot reclaim._

___________________________He is only a boy in the form of a man,  
A boy who is cursed by that mark on his hand,  
A boy who has lost all that he has,  
His only friends, and his beloved past._

_____________________________We left him behind in that forsaken land,  
And I, alone, share his suffering,  
There is no one yet who dares understand,  
The heart of the Hero...chained and broken.  
_

_______________________________For the land of Hyrule we carry our fate,  
But when all is settled there will still be our pain,  
_

_______________________________Time's scar shall never heal,  
Nor shall his or mine,  
For never again shall we see each other,_

_______________________________________________As is destined to me…and the Hero of Time.  
_

* * *

The immortal children of Kokiri Forest waited in their houses, waiting and praying for the day when they could finally venture back out in the open. They had waited in vain for seven long years, and yet no cure for the darkness had come. 

"Its all his fault!" Mido would always shout, "He killed the Deku tree, he could die out there and I could care less. He deserves it!"

Saria was getting tired of defending Link from Mido's lies. She had done so ever since he left, but this constant berating of Link's reputation quickly became more than she could stand. So, Saria decided to leave Kokiri Village for the Sacred Meadow--that one place where she and Link had shared so many fond memories. All she wanted to do was just get away from the lies and rumors that destroyed Link's image in the minds of the rest of the children.

And so she left to the Temple, to wait for the day that her dear friend would one-day return. She had never given up hope, and never would.

* * *

A young man strode through the log opening at the West End of the village. His clothing consisted of a one-piece Kokiri Tunic with a white jumpsuit underneath, and an outrageously long green hat. The man's hair was a golden blonde, and his eyes were flashing like two sapphires. The Kokiri sensed his arrival, and peeked out of their doorways to look at the stranger. 

The man's eyes were scanning the ground and walls of the village, and by the look on his face, the children could tell that he was horrified by what he saw.

Deku Babas and Scrubs were scattered all about the village, Guays and birds of prey roamed the skies freely, and Skulltulas lurked patiently in the shadows of the forest.

The man paid no attention to the children that were poking out of their houses trying to get a good look at him; instead drawing his sword and shield to face the first unfortunate Deku Scrub in his way.

The look in his eyes sent chills down all the spines of the Kokiri. He let out a cry of pure anger and rage, and jumped in the air. At the apex of his flight, he brought down his sword onto the doomed scrub and split it in two. The monster combusted upon its death and the raging warrior instantly turned to his next enemy, and slaughtered it with no less savagery than before.

The Kokiri children watched with awe as their new hero destroyed every last one of the monsters that haunted their town. As he kept his blade flying, his eyes grew evermore terrifying. The look in his eyes alone was enough for the children to question if this man truly was here to save them, or if he might turn on them as soon as he was done with the monsters.

Still, the children thought that the young man looked very familiar, as though they knew who he was…but just _who _was he?

The warrior stopped after all the monsters were slain, he stood tall and erect, his sword was lowered to one side dripping with the blood of his enemies and glimmering in the strong moonlight. The children hesitated to approach him when he turned his head slightly towards their advance. His eyes seemed to give off a luminescent blue light, freezing the Kokiri in their tracks.

They relaxed when he sheathed his blade and put his shield on his back. He nodded his head slightly at them and then walked to the vine wall that would take him up to the Lost Woods.

One of the children shouted after him, "Hey wait! Where are you going?"

Link, already up at the entrance, peered down at them from atop the cliff.

"I seek a friend of mine, of whom I was separated from for a long time," he said, and seeing the looks on their faces he added with a devilish smile, "Do you intend to stop me?" With that, the Kokiri scattered and re-entered their houses.

* * *

Link walked through the woods, the path to the meadow still clear in his mind. Yet he was troubled, forever had Saria's Song guided him through the labyrinth of trees. Now he heard no song, or notes…not even a whisper. Even the Skull Kid who he knew as a friend was gone; everything he once knew had disappeared in the flow of time. 

Then suddenly, he came to one of the many of the small clearings with the different ways out of the forest when he came across none other than Mido, boss of the Kokiri, and a real pain in the ass. The man glanced at the boy, and for a brief moment, he almost laughed...it was too bad that time hadn't taken away this part of his past.

"Hold it stranger! I promised Saria I wouldn't let anyone pass here so you'll have to turn around and go home!" Mido said with forced courage.

Link's blue eyes pierced directly through Mido's heart, and he froze. Mido gulped and vainly urged his limbs to move. Link drew an arm behind his back and Mido flinched for the coming attack, but the blow didn't come. Instead, Mido opened his eyes when he heard the note of a rather familiar song.

_What?_

Saria's song echoed through the forest, by hearing it alone, the trees seemed to straighten, and the air was seemingly restored its once cheery atmosphere. But once the song finished, the trees slouched again, and the air grew cold with reproach. The entire forest around the two became disheartened again by the short-lived hope, and the Kokiri boy felt it.

"You..." Mido nearly whispered, "You dress like us, and you have a fairy, but...you can't fool me! Saria taught that song to only her friends…so how did you know, who are you, anyway?"

Link lowered the Ocarina from his mouth and stood thoughtfully for a moment, staring at Mido with a somber expression on his face.

"Me?" he asked, retorhically. "I'm the victim of fate and destiny, and all that I once knew is gone. Including that of which I loved the most."

The boy stared at the man with large, curious, but suspicious eyes. This man seemed so cold (and overly poetic for that matter), and yet he also seemed very famillar...

"Go home, Mido, and tell the other children that they will be safe," he continued, "Look for my return, but not for my forgiveness. You, too, played a part in making me what I am now, and for that I will show no forgiveness…or mercy."

Seeing Mido's face he laughed. He had long yearned for Mido to cower before his feet; perhaps this is one of the advantages he would get of being an 'adult'. But now wasn't the time to be taking advantage of these matters--his objective lay ahead.

"Don't worry, I don't have the heart. I wouldn't waste too much of my energy on you. Let me pass and rid the forest of these abominations."

Mido nodded and stepped aside. As the man passed by, Mido was given a better, stunningly clear look at him. Mido's jaw dropped, and stared after the warrior as he disappeared in the darkness.

_No way…no possible way!_ He thought, and ran through the log opening that led back to the village.

* * *

Link came across the small labyrinth that led to the Temple entrance. He paused short of the opening through the outer wall when he heard a strange noise, and felt the earth tremble slightly beneath his feet. He looked to Navi to find her already investigating. When she came back she was flying at full speed and nearly knocked Link off his feet when she collided with his forehead. 

"Ow…what is it? What are they now?" Link asked a little blearily.

"M-Moriblins," Navi said holding her head. And after seeing Links puzzled look, she added, "You've never heard of them? Ok, then picture armored giants with a bulldog's or pig's head."

"With spears," she added again as Link raised an eyebrow. "Oh and hit them in the rear when they walk past you in the corridors, or else they'll charge you and make you into a shish-ka-bob."

"I have an better idea," Link said pulling out his prized hookshot.

He pointed it to the metal gate barring the entrance and pulled himself up the hill beside it. He then jumped easily to the other side of the corridor, by-passing a Moriblin directly under him.

"I imagine that they come from a relatively flat place, because it doesn't even occur to them to look up," Link grinned as he jumped to the next side of the corridor and slaughtered the Monblin below him when he reached the other side.

"They really are dangerous…but they're stupid, and you're just cheating." She said indignantly.

Links grinned again and continued the pattern until he reached the steps that lead to the temple. A quarter of the way up, Link suddenly had the feeling that he was being followed, and looked behind himself. For the briefest second, Link barely caught a glimpse of a blue and black shadow slipping behind the alcove; he blinked, and it was gone.

He was about to draw his sword and investigate when Navi clouded his view. She had suddenly stopped flying and was as still and rigid as a statue.

Link turned to see what she was staring at, and what he saw was a beast the size of a two-story house; it was holding a giant mace with an iron ball and Link couldn't help but think that their size was only for intimidation.

Link turned to her and pointed his thumb at it; "Moriblin?" he asked. Navi noticed his pupils had shrunk slightly. 

"Monblin." She replied flatly.

Link rolled his eyes threw his hands up exasperatedly, "And I suppose they're ten times worse?"

Navi nodded solemnly. "This won't be a piece of cake Link, you're going to have to weave back an-" She stopped as he saw Link hurtling backwards in the air and roll down the stairs.

She glided over to him fuming and cursing her partner's ill attention span.

"Well…what do you have to say for yourself this time?" She asked angrily, ready to pounce on him.

"Why wont those stars stop spinning?" He asked dumbly.

"Next-time-list-en-to-me!" She said hitting him furiously on every syllable.

As soon as Link came to his senses, he listened to Navi attentively. Needless to say, the wonderful experience of rolling backwards down two flights of stairs wasn't one he wanted to repeat.

"You have to weave back and forth in the corridor," Navi explained, "the line of his attack is always straight, so if you weave, you can dodge his attacks. He's too big to turn around in there so once your behind him, slash away."

Link nodded once and stood up. This was perhaps the first time he had ever underestimated a monster, but unfortunately for it--he had survived. Link's eyes narrowed and a devlish grin slowly drew itself across his face. In a moments calculation, Link coiled up and sprung down the center of the hallway. 

The Monblin was waiting for the charge at the other end. After sensing the prey was close enough, it raised its giant mace high up over his head, and brought it down with the overwhelming combined force of sheer power and gravity.

The force of the blow sent the soil churning upwards as the shockwave moved through the earth like a tidal wave. Link quickly jumped to one side and dogged the attack as it streaked down the hallway.

Seeing that his strike missed, the Monblin raised his mace up and struck the ground again, this time with even more force. Once again the ground churned upwards as the shockwave moved down the coridor, but this time, the force of the blast comprimised the strength of the hallway's foundation, and whole stones began to fall from their places all along the walls. Link raised his hands and drew his sword and sheild at the same time.

With a calculated bound, Link front-flipped over the wall of kinetic energy and dirt. He landed off balance, finding that the ground beneath him was still trembling. The Monblin saw this fatal error happen at his feet, and raised his mace for the final, and fatal blow.

As Link stumbled forwards, he dove for the ground between the giant's feet and rolled forward under its legs, and before the Monblin could look to see where his opponent had disappeared to, he had the Master Sword jutting out from his chest. The Monblin looked at the blade stupidly and then its eyes rolled back in its head and it fell to the ground.

Link jumped off the Monblin's back and sheathed the Master Sword.

"Go back to the hells, demon!" Navi shouted, and with that the massive corpse disappeared in a giant ball of green fire.

"Nicely put." Link said.

"Sorry." Navi replied with a blush. "But I'm really mad that all these monsters are here, yeah the Deku Tree died and all, but I'll never get used to them being here."

"Me neither," Link admitted. To be honest, he hadn't even thought about why these monsters were here in the first place. "They shouldn't be here at all," Link thought aloud.

"Well, let's get rid of them then! They'll pay for ever treading in this sacred ground!" Navi exclaimed zealously.

Link wasn't paying attention to her though. He didn't give a damn about the monsters or what they were doing here. There was only one thing that mattered to him now, and nothing would stop him from reaching it.

* * *

They came upon the area where the entrance to the Forest Temple lay in ruins. Link looked longingly upon the stump where She always sat. He knelt before it as if it were an altar, and bowed his head. 

_I...I'm too late?_ Link asked himself in disbeleif. It had only taken the sight of the vacant stump to throw him into an unescapable doubt.

Suddenly, Link faintly heard something move behind him. Instantly he drew his sword and lunged at his stalker in a blind and sudden rage. A black shadow, seeing the attack coming, moved to the side and parried Link's thrust with a short sword that it drew from its back. With its other free hand, the shadow grabed Link's wrist as he passed, twisted it, and hit the hand that held his sword with a fast thrust. The Master Sword flew from Link's hand and landed upright in the ground a few feet away. Before Link could react the shadow then pushed Link away with a powerful thrust of its leg. Link stumbled to the ground some meters away.

Link pounded his fist on the ground and started to sob. "You didn't have to do that Sheik." He choked.

"Well, you didn't give me much choice." Sheik said with a flip of his hair. "Listen Link, Saria's fallen out of your reach. There is nothing you can do to bring her back to this realm, but you can still save her from the darkness."

"What's the use? I'll never see her again!" Link shouted through tears.

"You would leave her in the dark forever? I expected better from you..." Sheik uttered mercilessly.

"And what if I did 'save' her, _then _what?" Link challenged, "All that I am…all that I was is lost. The one hope that I had in this corrupted future is gone. I'm done playing the game, Sheik...I don't want to do this anymore."

"That is not for you to decide!" Sheik snapped. "How can you be so selfish? True, she's probably the only reason you carry your feet however it is not your place to give up this quest! Trust me I know how you feel, however that did not stop me from my duty!"

Link scoffed, "How could you possibly know?" He said haughtily, "You've never been forced into sorrow, you haven't lost anything! You don't even have anything to lose! You haven't carried on in search of a lost cause!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Link felt something cold press up against his neck. Sheik held his blade to Links throat and spoke softly, but with sorrow and pure rage in his voice.

"I never want to hear those words from your mouth again Link."

Link stared at Sheik's reflection in the sword, and was stunned by a fire that flared intensely in Sheik's deep red eyes. Link swallowed, sending a drop of blood down the edge of the blade.

"I-I'm sorry Sheik. I just…"

Sheik removed the blade from Link's neck and sheathed it. He walked a few steps away from Link and kept his back turned to him in disgust.

"They are memories now Link, nothing more. Your childhood is gone...and you'll never fully recover it again. Only you hold the responsibility of this quest, only you have the strength to carry the burden of suffering and pain, and only you can complete the tasks bestowed upon you by the godesses."

"But...why all this? Why me? No one told me this would happen..." Link whispered pathetically.

"This is the price Link, it is the fate of the Hero of Time, no matter what happened, you were _destined _to draw that sacred blade from the pedestal."

Link stood up and turned his attention to the Master Sword. "Fate…" he said staring morosely at the accursed sword. "Fate and Destiny?" Link gave a heartless laugh. "That sword is my very bane." He walked over to it and picked it up out of the ground. Then Link returned to the stump and once again gazed at it with intense longing.

"Memories…nothing more…" Link repeated.

"Indeed, without memories, we are nothing, Link," Sheik said walking up beside him, "They are what give us hope in the future--they are images of that better life we miss and want more than anything to recover. Those memories may disappear and start anew; they may flow in and out with time, and sometimes they might never return. There is an ancient melody, Link; one that will allow you to return to this place should you ever feel like you are losing track of what you're fighting for. It will remind you of that old reality to make anew. So, listen to the Minunet of the Forest, and remember..."

Sheik took out his golden harp, raised it to his shoulders, and played the magical song. Link nodded and copied the song that Sheik played. Together, they made a song that echoed through the forest like a beautiful choir that the forest drew strength from. The song strengthened the drive in Link's heart to reclaim what was rightfully his, and when the song ended, Link's eyes were once again flashing with the lust for vengeance.

Shiek noticed that familliar glare and frowned behind his mask. He backed up a few steps without a sound.  
"Link, we shall meet again."Sheik said, causing Link to turn around. Before Link could say anything else, Sheik quickly threw a Deku Nut to the ground, blinding Link, and a second later, he was gone.

The sun began to draw itself over the horizon. Navi, stunned by the sudden appearance of Sheik and the fight that ensued, had stayed in the safety of Link's hat until now, when she peeked out and spoke to Link.

"Link, it's time to go now. I can still sense that Saria is alive...but she's scared. We have to help her! "

"Right…right." Link said turning his gaze from the stump to the Temple's entrance.

"Let's go." He said, and grappled to the top of the stairs.

* * *

Ok that's the first chapter. I have another one that I'll write and that'll conclude the story. This fic is based on the pain Link would've felt leaving his child hood behind. I also tweaked a few of the cinematics in the game to better suit the story…ok so I totally changed them but hey that's Fan Fiction for you. I'm gonna tweak the story too in the next chapter, ever hate how those Kokiris never recognize you? And how Mido never gets what's coming to him? Well no more! But I'm not gonna spill anymore than that. Please read and review, criticism is accepted! 

**Update Note: **

I went back and revised this chapter because its been a long time I wrote it and whenever I looked back at it, it would always give me a good laugh. Basically, I've found myself at the point where it's not all that funny anymore. So, I hope it's safe to say that this chapter has been improved. I changed that horrid bit of poetry at the top to sound a little better...but most of it's still in the style you see in Dr.Seuss books...I'm going to update the following chapters with revisions as well so look forward to that.Oh yeah, and, in case you havent noticed, I put a _permenant _disclaimer at the top! No more disclaimer at the top of each chapter! (hell yeah!). I'll be updating the following chapters as well so look forward to some better scenes with more action (definitely), less cheese (hopefully), and less errors (unlikely) !  
-Later


	2. The Damsel in Distress

**Chapter Two: Damsel in Distress**

**

* * *

**

Saria sat alone at the base of the tree stump, crying. For seven years, crying was almost all she could do. Saria was not strong enough to conquer the feelings of loneliness that she felt even when she was around other friends. The false sense of being the last person in the Realm had settled permenently in her heart ever since He left. From that point on, Saria was an island among the other Kokiri children.

Needless to say, there wasn't a living soul in the entire forest that did not sense Saria's sudden change of face. No one had ever seen Saria cry before, and as a result, Saria's depression seeped through the other children and spread throughout the village like a disease. Everyone endured for a little while...but soon Saria became separated and indifferent to all the other children, a wall was raised between them, and at length Mido searched out for someone to blame. Inevitably, it only became another reason to hate the one that left. The children, with all their hatred for this malady upon them, would never forget or forgive that boy for what he did.

Having someone to blame strengthened and united the Kokiri in a sense, and hieghtened Saria's disgust. To everyones _extreme _surprise, Saria disowned them all, and none of them could understand why.

Saira withdrew to the Holy Grounds of he Sacred Meadow and remained there in self-exile--crying in pity of the children whose hearts could not feel or see what she knew to be true. The only recourse Saria had from this unberable tormen was in believing that He would deliver her from the pain. She had never given up hope that He would one day come back, but her prayers had never been answered, and hope was beginning to run thin.

Saria suddenly stopped crying when she noticed a distant voice calling for help. She pricked her ears up and recognized the voice as that of the good spirits that resided inside the temple.

Without hesitation, Saria ran into the temple to save them. They were the last good spirits in the forest that were free of the King's control, and Saria would sooner be dead than let the spirits fall into his grasp. As soon as she had stepped into the main hall however, Saria saw with horror that the spirits had already turned evil, and had lured her there purposfully.

After blocking the exit and chasing her into the very center of the hall, the four spirits surrounded her, and slowly began spinning around her all the while uttering some ancient spell. Saria wanted to make a move. As soon as she saw an opening, Saria tried diving between two of the spirits, but suddenly found herself flat on the floor. Puzzled, she looked at her legs and noticed that they felt as heavy as lead.

Saria scrambled frantically to her feet and began to feel that petrifyed sensation moving up through her body. Presently, a ruby crystal began forming at her feet and continued upwards at a steady pace.

"What is this treachery?" She screamed. The crystal rose to Saria's neck, and a spirit looked at her mockingly.

_So young...so naive, you fell right into our trap, Saria. _The purple spirit, Meg replied. _Hence forth you shall be prisoner of the Great Ganondorf!_

Saria noticed something gravely different about the spirits. They were once four sisters, all sharing a life of happiness, and had become good fairies of the forest after their time; but now they looked different; evil, mean, and ghostly…

_Ghostly! That's it!_ _They're Poes! _Saria thought.

"You wont get away with this!" Saria hostilly challenged, "Just you see! You'll regret thi--" but she was cut off by the crystal's completion and a great flash of red light. The four Poes laughed maniacally and disappeared.

Saria's crystal then seemed to lower into the ground, and drifted into the darkness. Consumed by fear and shock, Saria fainted.

The next thing she knew, Saria was in a large circular room, with paintings all over the walls. It looked odd to her. There was two rather artistic Kokiri siblings in the village that owned the shop; Saria had remembered that the back room had their paintings all over the walls like here. But in this place, all the paintings were the same. Saria was torn from her thought by the sound of someone clearing their throat, and nearly jumped.

There, standing before her with that vile smirk on his face, was Ganondorf. Saria again nearly jumped a mile as soon as she knew who the man was, and apparently, he noticed.

"Heh...did I scare you, sweetie?" Ganon asked, chuckling loudly.

Saria only swallowed, she wouldn't let the Dark King see her fear now (though at this point any effort was unecessary). She stared directly back into his red eyes defiantly and said, "No, _your highness_, you merely caught me off guard."

"Of course, how wrong of me," Ganondorf answered derisively.

Saria narrowed her eyes and said nothing. Ganon then took the next moment regarding her with an almost dissapointed and dismayed expression.

"Hmmm," Ganon thought aloud, "It obviously has bad taste in its hosts...why not someone with more significance?" He was muttering under his breath absentmindedly, but Saria could hear him all the same.

"Is that why you captured me? Because you think I'm _important_?"

She ripped Ganon out of his thought, and he smiled knowingly.

"Not because I think, sweetie. Because I know."

"…What?" Saria asked, at first appalled by the pet-name, and then confused by what he actually meant. "What are you talking about?"

"Hmm…I see you haven't found out yet," The King said scratching his chin. "But I wonder..." he was thinking aloud again. "I wonder if I can force it out..."

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Saria's face--Ganon's eyes were flashing dangerously, and that twisted smile was back on his face. Ganon approached the crystal and Saria backed as far as she could against the other side. Ganon raised his hand and suddenly Saria was forced back into the center with her arms at her sides and her feet together.

Saria's eyes widened. He was going to kill her! …Just because Ganon thought she was somebody she wasn't!

_...But why? Why does he think that?_ Saria thought fearfully, and she looked at Ganon with a scared and pleading expression.

Ganon smiled wickedly, and a black mist began to snake around Saria's body. "Yes, it certainly has no taste in its host...how pathetic..."

Saria then suddenly noticed a pain slowly piercing every inch of body. At once, she screamed and the pain grew worse and worse. It was like screws were being driven down through her shoulders and into her heart; likewise, that same pain was shooting up and down her legs like something was shredding her legs from the inside out.

Saria was in the worst pain she would ever feel in her life, and Ganon was simply waiting there--enjoying the spectacle for all the entertainment it could offer. Though amidst the pain and agony Saria felt something welling up inside her, something deep inside was slowly making its way towards the surface...but it wasnt pain. Inside, Saria felt like something was going to explode, and would take everything down with it...

"Show yourself! Mighty Sage of the Forest!" Ganon yelled impatiently.

_It _gritted its teeth and opened its eyes, which were now shining with an ultra green light, and stared back directly at Ganon. It clenched its fists and pulled them in tight to its body. Presently, its fists began to glow and it quickly thrust them apart, releasing a massive wave of energy in every direction and shattering the crystal around it!

Ganon smiled.

It spoke, but the voice was distorted and mixed. Not only was Saria talking in her own body, but another voice was present as well, deep and terrible. The combination of the girl's and the Sage's voice could have curdled stone, but Ganon didn't even blink.

"Well, here I am, Ganondorf..." The sage said. "You will regret ever bringing me out." It lowered and hovered a few inches off the ground.

Ganon snickered and said, "Oh? Well I'm terribly sorry, _your holiness_, but you alone do not have the power to defeat me. You have not been awakened yet after all."

"We shall see about that," The sage said contentiously, and backed up to the opposite side.

At once, leaves, vines, and roots conjured up from no where and began flying at Ganon. A whirlwind of razor-sharp leaves and petals surrounded the Sage, and it dared Ganon to attack with a smile.

Ganon grinned and chuckled as he simply walked towards the Sage's bastion of foliage. His shoulders were raised, and he swayed slightly when he walked. The Sage's smile dissapeared when Ganon neither slowed, nor stopped his advance on her.

_"Fool" _The Sage uttered, and immediately, an impassable barrier of spiked roots shot up and stretched towards Ganon with inexplicable speed.

Ganon kept walking. As soon as the spiked roots struck him, they were annihilated by the magic barrier he had around his body. The roots recoiled, and others took their place. Ganon raised his hand, and they, too, burst apart as if some explosion ripped them from the inside out. Just as quickly, however, a plethora of flower petals and leaves surrounded Ganondorf and began flying dangerously close to him in the whirlwind. One, petal, managed to graze his cheek, and it withered instantly. Ganon endured a few more steps with the nuisance before a burst of energy emitted from his body and the petals floated harmlessly to the ground.

The Sage gritted its teeth and conjured to thorned vines in its hands. Without hesitation, the sage flung them mercilessly and relentlessly at the approaching King. Ganon merely sidestepped or turned sideways whenever necessary, and continued his slow pace towards the Sage.

It was getting desperate now. For the final blow that would be Ganon's undoing (he was to close now to avoid the next attack), the Sage threw its arms behind it's back. The whips recoiled and lashed in a cross pattern away from Gannon (the ends had barely missed from the previous attack). The sage then thrust its hands forwards again and the two vines lanced straight out at Ganon with incalculable speed.

The Sage felt the whips tighten from the collision, but they had not pierced through the intended target. Rather, Ganon had only stopped walking, and was gripping the two vines in his hands.

"Im--Impossible," the sage muttered vapidly.

Ganon was smiling broadly as he pulled on the whips, and flung the Sage over to the other side of the Gallery, where it hit the wall and landed with a thud on the platform.

Saria shook her head, dazed from the fall. What was going on? She remembered being unable to control her actions, or even her own voice. For that entire time, it felt like someone powerful had taken the reigns for her...who--or whatever it was, had saved her life.

"Wha-? …What just happened to me?" Saria asked.

"It's not what happened to you, Saria. That's who you are!" Ganon said triumphantly, "You are the Sage of the Forest, and now that I have found you, nothing can get in my way."

Meg re-appeared. _Master, the boy draws near…_

Ganondorf's face faulted a bit. "E-e-e-except for that," He said quickly. Ganondorf turned to the purple ghost, not at all pleased with her timing. "Well, let's have a look then, shall we?"

The Poe giggled. _Yes! Yes! _She said and started to draw a giant ring in the air with her torch.

The purple ring swirled in the air, and suddenly an image began to paint itself inside the circle. When the colors came to and the image focused, it depicted a young man riding a great steed towards the forest.

The man seemed to be wearing green Kokiri clothes and a long green hat. When the image zoomed in closer on his face Saria was sure that it was Link...there was no mistake about it. She would almost have laughed with joy had Ganondorf not seen the look on her face.

"What's this? You know him?" He asked.

Saria stood up and dusted herself off. Her face was confident, and unafraid now. Ganondorf frowned; he saw that she had returned to her former-self just from seeing that little punk. She looked Ganondorf directly in the eyes, and did not cower under them. Ganondorf saw no break in her new composure, and began to wonder just _how_ _close _those two were.

"Yes, I know him, that's Link," Saria answered confidently, "He's here because he wants to save me I'm sure."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow.

"Don't underestimate what he'd be willing to do for me," she shot indignantly. "I can already tell you that he'll stop at nothing to make sure I'm safe."

Ganondorf laughed at her sudden arrogancy. "My dear I find him hardly worth my time."

"But still worth your time nonetheless." Saria grinned.

Ganondorf's eyebrows lowered. "You may be right, but I think I see something interesting between the two of you." He said. "And that's just the thing I need to take him down."

He snapped his fingers and the crystal formed around her once again. Saria banged her fists angrily on the inside.

"What do you intend to do?" She asked.

"Well, now that I know that you are a sage and in my possession, I don't have to worry about you giving your powers to him."

Saria shot back at him. "Well, in that case, the longer you hold me captive the more he's going to want you dead!"

"Exactly." Ganon said with a smirk.

"I don't get you…" Saria said. "If he kills you now all our problems will be solved."

"Oh, but not so," Ganon corrected, "For you see my dear, the Ganondorf you see before you is only my mirror image, my _phantom_. I am still in control of everything it does, but what you see here is my clone, with only a slight difference in power. So, if your 'hero' ever gets down here, my phantom will kill him. And, if by some miracle that he gets down here _and_ manages to defeat my phantom, then I'm not defeated."

Saria narrowed her eyes.

"Of course," Ganon disclosed honestly, "If he succeeds, then your power as a Sage will be added to his own...however," Saria saw a glint in Ganon's eye that chilled her to the bone. "When you do add your power to his, you will never be able to set foot in the Living Realm again...That, is the destiny of the Sages."

"You Lie!" Saria yelled at him.

Ganondorf laughed deeply, "Perfect…So, he is your knight in shining armor, is that right? You can't stand to live without him, and he can't stand to live without you? Ha! What sap! This will work out better than I planned!"

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Saria's head. _He…he can't be right. He can't be trusted…he's a liar!_ She thought. But suddenly the voice that belonged to the sage spoke to her. _He's right Saria. You two were never meant to be together, this is, because of your duty, and his._

_How can you say that? _Saria asked the sage incredulously. _We WERE meant to be together, we love each other! And besides, what duty do we have to fufill? _

The sage-half of her flared. _You insignificant fool! Have you not been listening to that abomination that haunts us so? Listen to me! Listen to my voice! I am the sage of the Forest; nay WE are the sage of the forest. Saria, you are two halves now. One, the happy and strong minded Kokiri girl that holds the heart of the Hero of Time. The other, a millennia-old sorcerer that maintains the element of the forest through its host…The Forest Sage. Believe what you want Saria, but know that this is the truth, and that your duty as the sage of the forest is to rid the evil from this realm. Long have I remained dormant, and now I must awaken to the evil…through you._

_But that's! But...wait...what did you call Link? _Saria asked.

_I called him The Hero of Time. Long before he was even born he was destined to save Hyrule from Ganon and lead the land to a Golden Age of prosperity. And you, Saria, were destined to become the Sage of the Forest. Whether you love Link or not, the two of you were never meant to be in the same world together. You've known it all along in your heart...you and Link were different, you know Link didn't belong. You said it yourself when he left…_

Saria's eyes showed understanding. She remembered telling him the day that he left that he wasn't one of them, and that he was bound to leave someday. Then she started to cry again.

_It all ties in._ She thought as she sank to her knees. _But why us? _…_Why us? It's not fair!  
_

Ganondorf couldn't contain his delight. He had been listening to Saria's conversation with the sage…er, herself. Indeed, things would very much favor his side both ways. Whether his phantom was defeated or not, Link's soul would obviously rip itself apart. Having Saria suffering on the other side was just a bonus.

"My dear, I believe that we've chatted long enough. You can stay here until I kill that little wimp. Then I'll decide what to do with you." Ganon said then started laughing again.

Saria saw the world outside her crystal beginning to fade. In a whirl of colors, all disappeared except for the swirling image of her hero, and she was left alone in the black void.

_How can you see into my eyes like open doors,  
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb,  
Without a soul, my spirit sleeping somewhere cold,  
Until you find it there and bring it back...home._

_(Wake me up)  
Wake me up inside,  
(I can't wake up)  
Wake me up inside,  
(Save me)  
Call my name and save me from the dark,_

_(Wake me up)  
Bid my blood to run,  
(I can't wake up)  
Before I come undone,  
(Save me)  
Save me from the nothing I become._

___Now that I know what I'm without,  
You can't just leave me here,  
Breathe into me and make me real,  
Bring me…to life._

___(Wake me up)  
Wake me up inside,  
(I can't wake up)  
Wake me up inside,  
(Save me)  
Call my name and save me from the dark,_

___(Wake me up)  
Bid my blood to run,  
(I can't wake up)  
Before I come undone,  
(Save me)  
Save me from the nothing I become._

___Frozen inside without your touch without your love,  
Darling only you are the life among the dead.  
_

___All this time I can't believe I couldn't see,  
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me,  
_

___I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems,  
Got to open my eyes to everything,_

___Without a thought without a voice without a soul,  
Don't let me die here,  
There must be something more,  
Bring me to life._

___(Wake me up)  
Wake me up inside,  
(I can't wake up)  
Wake me up inside,  
(Save me)  
Call my name and save me from the dark,_

___(Wake me up)  
Bid my blood to run,  
(I can't wake up)  
Before I come undone,  
(Save me)  
Save me from the nothing I become._

___Bring me to life  
I've been living a lie,  
There's nothing inside.  
_

___Bring me to Life_

___

* * *

_Well, I admit, I decided to take a bit of a different turn. This is a very small descriptive of Saria's side of the story. I decided to lengthen the entire story thanks to my dear reviewers (I haven't received so much positive feedback! Thank you so much!) I also admit that I'm not as happy with this one as I am the other chapter, but I think it'll suffice for now. The song at the end belongs to Evanesance, "Bring Me to Life." It suited the situation pretty well, or at least I think so. I could've put some of the story in between the verses, but I'm not to sure it would've turned out as I wanted it to…better safe than sorry.

**Update Note: **I went through and revised a lot of stuff in this chapter. Most of the stuff that is different is the dialouge and the action scenes. I amped up both sigificantly. Although I'm still not sure how well everything flows, I think that the additions made a better chapter. The song is still as it was before, but I think there was a slight formatting problem when put it down. Have fun reading this one, people!

Now for you previous reviews…

**Kookie Dough: **Of course I know! Zelda watched everything she knew disappear through a different point of view…Sheik's.

**Spicey-Muffin:** :grins evilly: Oh, I think I can be a bit more 'gentle.'

**Junky: **It's all in the deep scary blue eyes -

**Link of Kokiri Forest: **:panting: Writing! I'm writing!

**Greki:** Well…if you put it that way… -

**Joe Nathan Roque:** That's what its all about, it may be death and despair, but it works. -

Once again thank you so much for the positive reviews. Keep them coming!


	3. The Knight in Shining Armor

**Time's Scar **

Chapter 3: The Knight In Shining Armor

* * *

Ganondorf gritted his teeth in spite of himself. Although he may have deserved it (that much he would admit), Ganondorf still couldn't believe how easily that little runt penetrated his perfectly crafted dungeon. In addition, the kid had also defeated the four poe sisters without going down himself.

"Curse those useless fools," Ganondorf said, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "If that idiot Meg hadn't gone to see her sisters…"

Without Meg's power, Ganondorf couldn't keep an eye on Link to watch his further progress. And, as a consequence of transmuting the Temple into a dungeon and the Spirits into Poes, his strength was weaker than he preferred. Still, despite the lack of strength, his phantom's magic should have been as potent as his own, but unfortunately, Meg resisted his control by going to see her sisters--as if she didn't know Link had already defeated them; but, the important part was that Meg's act was out of love for her sisters. Ganondorf had yet to understand the powerful effects of love, and how he had not yet been able to overthrow it.

"Love conquers all, Ganon, and he'll conquer you, too. Perhaps then you will know its power..."

Saria's last words still rang clearly in the back of his head, and Ganondorf began to wonder if all this were merely coincidence...or not. Presently, Ganondorf chuckled in spite of himself.

_Nothing can conquer me,_ He thought confidently. _And, nothing ever will...Saria, you are young, and naive--you do not understand the depth of your ignorance. So, I suppose it's time I showed you..._

Ganondorf didn't have to wait long before he sensed that the kid was near, and he smiled as he heard the massive lock outside the Gallery unlatch.

"Either way, one of us will be right, and the other victorious..." Ganon said, and disappeared.

xxx

Link strode into the Temple Gallery in silence until he reached the main platform, where he paused to take a good look at his surroundings. The Gallery was a very large circular room with a circular platform in the center. In the center of the platform where Link stood, there was a Triforce symbol, and on the walls there hung eight very large paintings. All of which were paintings of a spooky trail that led to an equally gloomy mansion in the background.

There's nothing here…but I feel like there is, Link thought, Why else would this room be locked with the master key?

This is the place, Link. Navi replied, Make no mistake, the demon that has Saria is here somewhere, but it's being a coward. Let's go back and search for hidden passages.

Link nodded his head and started towards the steps when spiked metal bars suddenly shot up from the ground and nearly skewered him as they barred the exit.

"What the--?" Link cried, jumping back in surprise.

As though answering the question, Link heard some sort of animal snort and shift behind him. His eyes narrowed, he drew his sword and shield calmly, and he turned around to face none other than the Dark King himself.

There, mounted on his menacing black stallion stood the man that had haunted his dreams since the beginning of his quest. Link's eyes flared threateningly in the dim light of the chamber.

"Where is Saria?" Link hissed venomously.

Ganondorf chuckled loudly and flashed a grin at Link "Welcome, kiddo. Congratulations on making it this far! I would've never suspected--"

"Where is Saria?" Link shouted vehemently .

"Patience, patience," Ganondorf said mockingly, "In my kingdom, when you want something, you have to earn it. It's quite simple, really..."

Link's eyes flashed competitively at the remark, and Ganon's smile grew broader.

"Just by reaching me you've earned this truth:" Ganondorf said, then revealed his phantom's true face. "You'll have to kill my phantom to earn what you want, and even then, victory is still mine! Prove to me your courage 'O' Hero', and I will give you back the girl."

"With pleasure," Link said with a blood-curdling smile.

Ganon spurred his horse into action and thrust his Dark Trident at Link, who easily jumped aside. Link was ready for another attack as soon as he rolled to his feet; but, instead of turning the horse around, Ganon rode right into a painting on the opposite side of the wall!

"Link, draw your bow! This isn't going to be easy!" Navi said. "He's a phantom! And those paintings are a part of his strategy. Keep your bow ready and fire when his horse glows white!"

"But how do I know where he's going to come from?" Link asked.

"I'll keep a good watch for you! Wait! Right there! The second painting to your left!"

Link twisted his torso, notched an arrow, and waited for the Phantom to emerge. The horse sprinted down the path and then seemed to glow white all of a sudden. Ganondorf was swinging his Trident over his head, with a radiant black light trailing in circles as he spun the blades around. A similar black light appeared around the horse as it glowed white and both beast and master charged into the gallery.

Link's eyes narrowed and a twisted grin spread itself across his face as he loosened his grip on the arrow's shaft. There was no way Ganon's horse could have avoided the arrow in such short range, and thus the arrow made a mockery of the horses steel armor by piercing straight through. The horse heaved an enormous sigh and wail of pain and instantly reared on itself--bolting back into the picture, and narrowly avoiding another one of Link's arrows.

"Ok, get ready Link, you'll have to do this several more times to get him off that accursed horse." Navi said.

"Is the horse a phantom too?" Link asked, his eyes darting from picture to picture.

"Yeah, how else do you think it could fly? Or even run with an arrow in its chest?"

"Point taken," Link admitted hurriedly. "Keep watching my back!"

Link and Navi waited several more agonizing seconds before the Phantom made itself appear again. This time however, he came assailing from the 5 o'clock direction.

"Watch out!" Navi yelled upon sight of the phantom.

Link's eyes darted towards the approaching figures and stayed fixedly upon them until the horse began to glow white again. At the precise moment, Link spun around on one heel and gracefully released another arrow at the open target. Link knew Ganondorf would be ready the second time to avoid his arrow, so he had waited with his back turned until Ganondorf exited the painting, and the stratagem had worked flawlessly.

Link smirked as Ganondorf cried out in surprise as the second arrow suddenly punched through his steed's breast, just left of the first mark. It was all he could do to abstain from laughing as Ganon coaxed the suffering beast back into the painting.

"Curse the damned fairy!" Ganondorf said angrily to himself as he charged up the trail. "I should have known that overgrown weed would send him with one...I suppose this calls for a _different_ strategy."

Absentmindedly, Ganondorf began to laugh as he disappeared into the gloom. Link's eyes narrowed speculatively, and he stood in wait with his bow held up high and ready.

Link spotted a glimpse of Ganon's horse coming from his right and turned to face it, ready to put another wound in the horse as soon as it exited the painting.

"Link, watch out!" Navi yelled.

"I got it, I got it!" Link replied.

"No! Behind you! Look behind you!"

_What?_

Link turned around and saw another horse barreling down the path towards him. His eyes widened and he looked back at the painting that he saw earlier, only to reveal Ganon still coming towards him. Link began to swing his bow frantically between the two paintings. Then, with horror, Link watched the first horse suddenly turn around and head back up the path.

Link was still backpedaling by the time Ganondorf exited the painting. With a sudden burst of speed, the horse surged forward while Ganondorf leaned over to one side and raised his trident. At the last moment, Link stumbled over his feet as he scrambled backwards and turned around in the air as he fell. Shortly after, Ganon splashed the energy stored within the Trident's blades onto Link's shield.

While the shield prevented the blades from entering Link's body, it could not protect him from the magic that pierced and electrified every inch of his flesh. Agonizing pain was relentlessly shooting up and down his body, and grew worse as he writhed on the ground.

Already safe inside a painting on the opposite wall, Ganondorf laughed at Link's pathetic figure rolling around on the platform. Confident in his strategy, Ganondorf faded away into the gloom and prepared for his next strike.

Back on the platform, Navi was desperately trying to get Link back on his feet.

"Link!" Navi yelled, but somewhat stunned herself, "Are- Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Link lied through his teeth.

"You can't take another hit like that!" Navi reprimanded, ignoring the rhetorical. "He's most powerful when he's on his horse, so take it down!" Navi heatedly advised.

Link got up and spit away some blood that was building up in his mouth. He drew another arrow and was standing with steady nerves, despite the lingering pain in his limbs.

Link then spotted Ganon moving down the path in a picture to his immediate left and turned to face him. However, Link squinted his eyes at a rather peculiar element of the painting. Apparently, the horse was traveling a little on the left side of the path--almost as if it needed the room to turn around.

Link sneered at the fleeing figure as it barreled back up the path--as he had expected, and kept smiling as Ganon exited the wall behind him.

Again, Link waited until Ganondorf was nearly on top of him before moving. Link was a blur as he quickly spun around on one heel and dove under the horses feet with his bow in hand. Link drew an arrow as he dove, and kept his bow hand in front of him to balance the roll. As he somersaulted under the horses feet and rolled on his back, Link notched the arrow and loosened the shaft directly under the horse's belly.

The arrow pierced the horse's heart with a vengeance. Having already sustained and endured the two other arrows, the third was the final and fatal blow. As soon as its heart burst, the horse screamed sorrowfully and then sighed heavily in resignation. It lurched forward, throwing Ganon off its back and died in a fiery blue blaze as it crashed into the platform.

The Phantom let out a cry of rage and surprise as it was deprived of its precious mount and remained suspended in the air after its counterpart had fallen. It remained staring at the spot where the Horse disappeared with a sense of disappointment, and calculation.

Link, on the other hand, knew exactly what he needed to do next, and would not allow Ganondorf a chance to collect himself. As soon as he was back on his feet, Link sent a chain of arrows flying at Ganon's floating ghost.

Ganon flicked the first arrow away with his trident without even glancing at Link...he was still brooding over his horse.

The second arrow came, and Ganon deflected it in the same manner...it was a nice horse.

The third arrow came, and Ganon finally turned to look at Link--reluctantly giving his attention...he really liked that horse after all.

Link gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Took you long enough..." he said under his breath.

Ganondorf did not reply and instead glowered at Link with frustration...something had to be done to avenge his horse. Presently, Ganon lowered himself onto the platform and casually began walking towards Link.

Link quickly sent a multitude of arrows flying at Ganon as he approached, each one of which Ganondorf effortlessly batted away with his Trident. Pretty soon Ganon was getting to close for Link's comfort, and he began to backpedal.

Link fired once as he backed up, but just as all the others, the arrow was blocked. A smirk appeared on Ganon's face. Link's retreat quickened slightly, and again he shot another frantic arrow at Ganondorf only to miss dismally. His feet shuffled backwards even more and he inevitably tripped on his own feet, falling flat on his back.

Link desperately drew another arrow, lined it up with Ganon's neck, and released the shaft. Ganon was snickering through smiling teeth when he caught the arrow in his palm, and snapped it in two.

Link's eyes were wide with surprise at the miracle Ganon was able to pull off. Almost as an afterthought, Link reached back and fumbled for another arrow, but didn't find any--he was clean out of ammo. In that instant Link broke out in a nervous sweat as Ganondorf approached his feet. He began kicking his feet, vainly trying to scoot away from the Phantom. Link desperately rummaged around in his item sack for anything that would aid him--and the hookshot was the first thing his hand found.

Ganon laughed and raised his Trident to relieve the boy of his worthless head. However, Link took him off guard by withdrawing some contraption from behind his back and firing it at him. Ganon caught the projectile in his hand and peered at it curiously.

It was a hook...a bladed one, and unfortunately had cut his hand when he gripped it. What interested him the most, however, was the chain that the hook was attached to.

"A hookshot?" Ganon wondered aloud, "Ah-h-h...so _this_ is what you used to solve my dungeon. And I was thinking it was all the work of your fairy..."

Link's eyes widened. Navi tried screaming a warning, but she was already too late. Ganondorf tightened his grip on the chain and pulled on it fiercely in a sweeping motion. Before Link could even comprehend what had happened, he was hurtling around the edge of the platform and gaining momentum. Ganondorf then changed stances, and pulled the chain down over his shoulder. Link cratered the platform shortly after.

Then, before he could even get the chance to draw one last breath, Link felt the Phantom's Trident being driven deep into his back.

A moment of utter silence passed, not one thing moved while the radiant light from Link's eyes started to fade. Navi stood still and rigid with her mouth open. Too deep in a sense of stupification to comprehend all that happened. She couldn't believe that she had let it happen--she couldn't believe that there was nothing she could've done in time. Link was her _last _chance...he was her only duty, and yet she had let it come to this. Tears of rage formed at her eyes.

"Link!" Navi screamed.

Phantom Ganon stood still on the edge of his Trident and then began to chuckle softly at first, then grew into a unrestrained laughter. Link tried to choke out a cry of pain but all that left his mouth was a wet cough…and blood. The light behind Link's eyes slowly faded away, and Ganon knew it was over.

Ganondorf was still smirking when he withdrew the Trident from Link's body.

"What a worthless waste of my time," Ganon said reputedly. "Saria had such high expectations for you, its a shame you let her down..."

Navi breathed heavily through her teeth and fought back the urge to finish the phantom herself while she worked at the cork stopper of a bottle that contained a healing fairy. Eventually, Navi was successful, and a healing fairy sprung from one of Link's bottles.

Link's eyes opened slowly as the fairy circled his recovering body, and the blue fire behind his eyes returned with a renewed vigor.

Ganon stood in shock. Not only had he failed to successfully create the demons inside the Temple, but he also failed to destroy all the good spirits outside of the Temple in the forest; namely, the healing fairies.

Link stood up and stared at Ganon for a long time, his eyes flaming with anger and the lust for revenge.

So...you think I'm not worth your time?" Link swaggered as he rose to his feet. There was an eerie look on his face. His smile glowed wickedly, and his irises were small in the whites of his eyes.

"You think I would let her down?" Link drew his sword and shield and walked towards Ganondorf.

Ganondorf frowned. Something was amiss here...not just what had befallen his works in the temple, but with this boy. How could the symbol of courageousness and purity be one so twisted in the mind and spirit? He was a broken man, that much Ganondorf could plainly see. It was a weakness unprecedented by even the goddesses...or so he guessed. Ganondorf became immensely interested in the boy; and already he was forming new and complex plans.

This was an opportunity Ganon couldn't afford to miss.

"Well," Ganon snickered, "You almost did for a moment there, kiddo. And you still haven't gotten me, yet."

As Ganon expected, the face with an ominous smile twisted itself into rage and malevolence.

"I'll show you..." Link hissed, "I'll...I'll show you that I'd _never_ let her down!"

Link surged forward with a sudden and unrestrained speed. He brought his sword parallel to his face and set his eyes fixated on Ganondorf's heart.

"I'll never let her go!" Link cried, pushing forward with his left hand to make the stab.

Ganon moved out of the way and made his way behind Link with speed on equal ground to Link's. Link turned around and relentlessly kept his blade flying at Ganondorf, who evaded each swipe with ease and a mocking smile.

"I'll make it _all_ worth your while, Ganon! I swear it!" Link pledged vehemently, leaping into the air and hammering down with his sword.

Ganon sidestepped the blow and laughed--yes, this was so much better than anything he'd ever dreamed of. The possibilities with this boy were endless. But, feeling the need to retaliate (after being passive for so long), Ganon made a reverse pivot, and swung his trident around with the motion.

Link mimicked the move and raised his shield. A flurry of sparks burst away from the impact of the blow. Ganon withdrew the trident for another attack, but Link pivoted inwards towards him, and thrust his sword in as he did so. The move surprised Ganon, but did not escalate further as Ganon lifted his hand and sent Link hurtling through the air with a massive blast of energy.

Link was able to keep upright this time, however, and his feet skidded to a halt on the other side of the platform.

Ganondorf was snickering again. Link took the pause for all he could allow it to be, and burst forward again with unrelenting determination.

Black streams of shadow began congregating at the tips of Ganon's trident, condensing and concentrating into three balls of a sickly-yellow energy.

As Link closed in, Ganon spun his trident at his side and threw one of the balls at Link. The attack left little time for Link to think, he tried running slightly out of the way but the ball followed his movements.

"Your sword..." Navi whispered sternly in his ear, and Link understood her perfectly.

Just before it was about to hit him, Link slashed horizontally at the ball with his sword, and it flew away aimlessly at twice the speed.

Ganon moved his trident to the other side and used the reverse momentum to hurl the second attack at Link even harder. Link barely had time to slash diagonally, and after batting the energy away, he moved his sword behind his back as he closed in even more.

Ganon then poured even more energy into the core of his final attack by swinging his trident in a full circle, bringing it up and over his shoulder as he completed the turn, slammed down the trident, and pitched the attack with all his might. Link suddely halted in front of the attack and spun around once with his sword. As he did so, all the energy he had stored in it released itself in the seventh fold. The whirlwind of flames sent the ball hurtling back at Ganon at eight times the speed it was thrown, and having touched the sacred Master Sword, the black magic was instantly purified.

The ball of energy hit Ganondorf square in the chest, and paralyzed him with the same pain he had bestowed upon Link...only worse.

Link immediately charged the phantom and jumped high in the air. At the top of his flight he brought his Sword down in the same fashion as always, except Ganon now had time to see Link's vengeful eyes.

Like everyone before him, Ganondorf's heart was frozen over, and fear penetrated every inch of what remained. For a split second, just as the blade divided his vision, Ganondorf wondered whether or not his plan was worth the risk. He could only hope for the time being...for now, things had fallen out of his control.

The phantom cried out in agony as it was released from Ganon's grip. And hung limp in the air as it floated over the center of the platform.

Ganon's voice rang through the chamber as his phantom's body began to crumble and combust in bursts of blue fire.

"Well done kid, you actually beat my phantom. Seems like you've definitely grown up a little since last we met."

"Yes, the victory is mine Ganon. Now give me back that which you promised me!" Link yelled.

Ganon's voice laughed. "Sorry kiddo, but that's out of my hands now. You beat my phantom, and my phantom imprisoned Saria, where she is now…" He paused as if savoring much satisfaction despite his defeat. "Only the gods know."

"You lie!" He yelled, "That was your phantom! You were controlling it all along, do not think you can fool me."

"Ah yes, that phantom…What a worthless creation it was! Henceforth it is banished to the endless gap between dimensions!"

A black vortex suddenly appeared under the phantom. It gave a sudden cry of surprise and dismay. As it resisted and as it was dying, bits and pieces of the phantom crumbled off its body and were sucked into the black whirlpool. Link spotted something heart shaped buried inside the Phantom's chest. Apparently the phantom noticed it too, as it reached inside its own body and withdrew the heart container. With all the strength and spite of Ganon it could muster, the phantom hurled the heart container high into the air. By the time the jewel landed, the vortex was gone, and the phantom with it.

"Ganon!" Link screamed, appropriately panicking about Saria's whereabouts, "Answer me now! Where is Saria?"

Ganondorf paused for a second. "Gone," He said simply, then laughed. "I hope you're prepared boy, because next time it'll be the real thing! And trust me, I won't be as easy!"

A silence followed and Link knew Ganondorf had left him in his misery.

"Ganon!" He screamed once more, but he only heard his echo--hollow...and empty.

xxx

It was mid-day in the now peaceful Kokiri Village. The children had undeniably wondered how, in such a short time, the evil had been ridden from the forest. They had literally gone to bed in a nightmare, and woke up in the world they once knew. The only clue they had to these happenings was the man that had disappeared into the Lost Woods, and Mido who had woken them all up when he came yelling and screaming about something at the top of his lungs. Unfortunately, in his...excitement, he had accidentally ran off the edge of the cliff and landed in the stream. Until he regained consciousness, the Kokiri were left without a clue.

In the short time that the new peace had come, they had continued going about their lives as if their seven years of waiting had never happened. The children bustled this way and that, carrying baskets and goods to wherever they belonged. Despite the extreme time, the Kokiris had no problems at all readapting to their lives--indeed, in a few years everything about the seven years they waited would soon be forgotten. They would have no trouble resuming their lives...because even after an eternity, there was always something for them to do.

It was about noon when they sensed a familiar presence in the forest. All of them sensed it at once, and all of them stopped whatever it was they were occupied with together. Some of them held their breath in anticipation, others turned towards the direction of that familiarity.

The young man strode through the log opening at the East end of the village. He was back, but the Kokiri sensed something different in him than when they had first seen him. The missing link became evident when the sun shined on his face: the life behind the man's eyes was gone, and he almost seemed to them like a walking corpse.

A brave Kokiri approached Link and halted him in his tracks. "Uh...s-sir?" the boy asked timidly.

Link couldn't hear him, and walked right past him without so much as a glance.

Link's rudeness flared up a slighted indignation in the Kokiri, and he ran up in front of Link to block his path. Reluctantly, Link stopped before him.

"You came from the outside, and saved us from the monsters of the Forest," the boy stated needlessly, "Do you intend to leave without even giving us a name?"

"We will come and go as we wish, boy!" Navi said haughtily.

The Kokiri backed up a few steps upon the sight of the fairy. Just what in Farore's name was next?

"It's ok, Navi," Link said in resignation, then turned to the boy. "You do not need to know my name, it's pointless to you either way. If you haven't already figured it out, then what do I care? So, go. Get out of my way and go about living your lives in bliss..."

Link continued past the boy and started toward the log opening at the other end of the village.

"I'll be the one to suffer for you..." he added under his breath.

Just then however, the boy spun around on one heel and addressed him.

"Link of Kokiri Forest! You will halt where you stand!" the boy shouted triumphantly.

Link froze and turned his head slightly to the Kokiri. Through the strands of a few hairs, the Kokiri was frozen by a cold and unfeeling eye, the remembrance that Link had unconsciously desired had kindled them again, but the memory of what he once striven for in the past only made him bitter. His stare bore through the Kokiri's heart as a fatal warning.

The boy hesitated, but was not about to drop the subject.

"You left once already my friend, do not think we'll you will slip away again."

The final puzzle piece metaphorically slid into place in the Kokiri's minds and they stood aghast at the resemblance between the man and the boy they once knew as Link. Most of them wondered how they could have possibly overlooked the fact, but the truth was that everyone of them had forgotten him. All they could do was just stand and stare at Link with their mouths hanging wide open.

Link smiled, an awkward addition in contrast to his eyes, but its familiarity eased the Kokiri's tension. "Kurtia," Link addressed the boy by his name. Unlike the rest of the Kokiri, Link had no trouble with remembering names. "I didn't slip away...you, of all of us, should know that a Kokiri can never leave the forest..."

Kurtia gave him a confused look at first but quickly caught Link's meaning, and smiled in turn.

"I was never gone," Link said reassuringly. "And I never will truly leave, either."

With that, Link continued on without another word, and left the Kokiri in their awe and wonder.

xxx

Epona waited patiently for her rider to return, and trotted some of the way towards him when he came back out of the forest. After he had saddled up and prepared to ride, Link absentmindedly withdrew the Forest Medallion from under his tunic. Link had already attached it to the same chain on which the Light Medallion also hung. It was heavy for a medal of its size, but he thought that was appropriate considering what happened, and he wore it religiously.

After all, it contained the strength Saria had given him when he fought with Ganon's puppets. It was not so much his own desire for revenge as it was passion for her that fueled him; all he wanted was to know she was safe, and that she was unharmed...when he was denied this, an unfathomable power and desire was unleashed on every obstacle in his way.

Now it was finished, and aside from a newfound strength, Link had failed to bring Saria back. Even talking to her wasn't enough to satisfy him: In the Sacred Realm where her spirit rested, he had tried calling out to her--and she had answered, but Link did not believe the words she said, and became convinced that the voice did not belong to her at all...

Essentially, Link had gained what he needed to win the battle, but in doing so he could not use it for anything else than her, and she was gone; thus, in his mind he had already lost the war. Sorrow sank inside him, and replaced warmth with cold and bitterness. What else could he do now anyway?

Link fought back at his watering eyes and hurriedly stuffed the medallion back into his tunic. Without so much as one last glance, Link took up Epona's reigns and rode as far away from the forest as he could.

* * *

**Update Notes: **WOW! I really got carried away with this one huh? Heh heh, though, I thought all of you deserved a radical fight scene. There's also plenty of (melo)drama for those who like that, too. Well...i got rid of the song...and i was contemplating about adding _In the End_, also by Linkin Park, but thought against it in the end (BAD PUN!) I also got rid of the old a/n that wondered if I'd go through the whole thing or not. When you open a 15 chapter story, and the 3rd chapter says, "I might not continue all the way through the game" it becomes a bit of a turn off, doesn't it? 

I really packed this one chock full of everything I wanted here. Although we see a lot of that "angry" and "dark" aspect of Link here, he's still badassin' assasin of ganon so its all good right? Besides, this is the chapter where Link really is supposed to be angry anyway lol.

As some reviewer said long time ago, he/she liked the fact that Ganon was just as cool as Link, so here I developed a twist in ganon that will unfold in the very last bits of the story, and I accentuated the whole "badss" factor by a few notches too for both of them...at least...in my opinion. But I'll let you be the judge. I would like some feed back as to whether or not the fight was too much of a text book, because almost all the fights from here on out are going to be absolutely dripping with action.

That's all for now, stay tuned for a revised ch. 4 sometime in the future.

Thanks once again and keep the reviews rolling.

**Zanshi:** All I can say is thanks. Heh heh.

**Ani1:** Well, I might, I have some pretty good ideas lined up if I do.

**Link of Kokiri Forest:** TYand you spelled it right.-

**Audra:** That's fan devotion there. -

**Earl of Rosshire:** Wow, to tell you the truth, my story was inspired by yours. And you have an uncanny way of detailing and tying everything so intricately. I like that and I could never do that, you keep it up!

**BlurryBelayer:** I try to incorporate lyrics or poems into these works. Finding a song I know and fits is the tough part.

**xXx:** It's a rare thing if you see any good poetry in my stories, most of the stuff I post in this story will probably have lyrics instead, who knows…

**LastSheika:** Yes those typos…GAH! I'll have to make a note to never trust the Microsoft Word 2000 grammar check…ever.


	4. No Time for Tragedy

**Chapter Four:**

**No Time for Tragedy  
**

* * *

"Come on, kid...I know you can do better than _that._"

Link coughed weakly. A red haze clouded the corners of his vision, but he could clearly see his opponent standing over him—smiling widely.

"Well, at least you're not dead...yet," Ganon added, almost as an afterthought.

Link let his gaze fall on the ceiling above him. He was sprawled out on top of the platform in a pathetic heap. Blood was starting to gather in a shallow pool on the floor around his torso, where a deep gash bloodied his tunic all up and down his chest.

At this point, everything was lost, and if he was not dead yet—then he would be soon, and this nightmare would finally end.

"But don't die just yet, we've still some business to sort out!" Ganondorf suddenly exclaimed with feigned worry, reading Link's thoughts by his facial expression alone.

Ganondorf then leaned down and spoke in Link's ear—as if he were about to tell some huge secret.

"You see, even I can be merciful sometimes...so, I thought I'd like to strike a deal with you..." Ganondorf spoke ominously.

Link's eyes flashed defiantly at Ganon; the last thing he wanted to do was engage Ganon in some sort of bargain.

"No? Well, first let me tell you what I'll do for you," He said, then snapped his fingers. Immediately, a large ruby crystal appeared a few meters away from them. Link's eyes widened when he recognized the young girl inside.

"Ah, so you want to hear me out then?" Ganon asked rhetorically, "I knew you would warm up to me."

Saria appeared to be unconscious inside the crystal, but she was unharmed. However, the wave of relief that swept over him was suddenly replaced with uneasiness by a strange look in Ganon's eye.

"Listen kiddo," Ganondorf said, "I'll let you have her, and I'll let you both get far away from here unharmed by my forces. You two will be free forever...but, you first have to do something for _me _in return."

Link's eyes focused back on Ganon's, desperation was written all over his face; and, if it wouldn't have caused him excruciating pain, Link would have jumped at the chance.

"Tell me," was the raspy command that forced its way out of his mouth.

"Excellent!" Ganondorf exclaimed jovially, standing back up and walking some of the distance to Saria's crystal. "You see, I am aware that you are—_were_—conspiring with the Princess against me. Although _you_ did not present much of a threat to me, the Princess was a force to be reckoned with—being immune from my grasp with her position."

"Get on with it!" Link forced out.

'Ah...well I do suppose you are in a rush—dying and everything," Ganon admitted absentmindedly, musing with Link's impatience. "The Princess had some very valuable information to my conquest—beyond the scope of you're comprehension—and yet she eluded my grasp."

Link began to understand where Ganondorf was going with all of this. His eyes grew wide and pleading.

"All I want you to do, is just tell me where she is hiding," Ganondorf uttered maliciously.

A wave of panic swept over Link's body at once. The Princess? How in the world would he know? How _could _he know?! Link's face turned into that of complete desperation. He tried to force words out of his mouth but his throat refused to cooperate with him.

Ganon pretended to be confused at the writhing face staring at him. After a few seconds of waiting Ganon sighed and walked over to the crystal that imprisoned the girl.

"I can see that you are still reluctant to tell me her whereabouts," Ganon said matter-of-factly. He snapped his fingers and the crystal disappeared, causing the girl inside to fall to the floor in a heap. Ganondorf stooped down to grab her wrist just as she was coming to.

The girl groaned once, her head was throbbing. As soon as she came to her bearings however she recognized at once the figure lying in a puddle of blood before her.

"LINK!!!" Saria cried, and attempted to go to him, but Ganondorf was still holding her wrist, and prevented her from going anywhere. She gasped, noticing him for the first time and vainly attempted to wriggle away out of his grasp.

Link moved his arm as if to reach out for her, but in his crippled position the gesture was useless.

_Saria...no!_

"Now listen here, kiddo," Ganon said, grabbing Link's attention. "It was never my intention that it would have to come to this, but I have _other_ methods of persuasion." Ganon added with a vicious look in his eyes.

_No! Don't hurt her! I have no idea were Zelda is!! _Was what Link wanted to say. His mind was practically screaming for it. But no matter how hard he tried he could not force a word out of his throat.

Ganon's fingers moved to Saria's, grabbing one of them and pulling it back slightly. Saria finally realized what Ganon was about to do and looked frantically between Link and Ganon. Fearful tears crept to the corners of her eyes.

"There had to be a reason why Zelda gave you the Ocarina of Time, she knew it wasn't safe with her so she entrusted it to you. Why?"

_I don't know!!! _Link's mind screamed again.

When Link didn't respond, Ganon snickered, and pulled all the way back on Saria's finger until he heard a satisfying 'pop.' Saria shrieked in pain and tried once more to free herself from Ganon's grip.

"Don't make this hard on yourself, kid—or her," Ganon said with a wicked grin spreading across his face. "They all go next if you don't tell me what I want to know: If Zelda had entrusted you with the Ocarina of Time, then she undoubtedly trusted you deeply for some reason—you had to have been very close to her in your conspiracy. She _must _have told you where to find her after all that now, wouldn't she?!"

_To hell with you! I don't have a clue! Stop this NOW!! _Link thought with tears pouring down his bloodstained face.

"Link! Just tell him, _PLEASE!_" Saria cried desperately to him, and a whole new wave of anxiety and helplessness took hold of Link's body.

"Too late," Ganon said, and pulled back the rest of her fingers.

Saria screamed in agony and her knees gave way from under her. Hanging in Ganon's grip by her wrist she began taking in rapid gulps of air in response to the pain.

"I am getting impatient now," Ganon said. "Tell me where Zelda is!"

"Link..._please_...it hurts."

_No!! DON'T DO IT!!!_

"You seem incapable of realizing exactly what is at stake!" Ganondorf shouted, crushing Saria's fingers, palm, and wrist with a simple squeeze and then releasing her.

Saria crumbled to the floor, clutching her limp remains of a hand and writhing in agony. She wasn't going anywhere, but Ganon's 'patience' had run thin.

Ganon wrapped his massive hand around Saria's entire neck and lifted her so Link could see her face. Her arms were hanging uselessly at her sides. She was making no attempt to get loose, and the look on her face clearly looked as if she was not at Ganon's mercy...but Link's instead.

_NO!!! _

"Last chance, kid, I won't repeat myself."

_NO DAMNIT, NO!!! _

Saria's chin began to lift, and she began sagging in Ganon's grip. She had taken her eyes off Link and was now staring upward with resignation.

'I can feel her neck buckling...you had best hurry now."

With all the strength he could muster Link turned himself over and dragged his body along with him, leaving a giant red smear on the floor as he went. When he could go no further, he dropped on his side and extended an arm to Saria.

_No...please...not this..._

Then suddenly Link heard a brief series of cracks, and his heart stopped.

"I can see I've wasted my time with you,' Ganondorf said, heaving a heavy sigh and tossing Saria's body towards him, causing it to land just out of Link's reach.

Her face was pointed at him, the lifeless eyes staring at him emptily, and with the look of one who has been betrayed still vividly fresh on her face.

_...No..._

"It is a shame you let it come to this...you _know_ you could've prevented this, and I think she knew that, too..."

_...No!!_

"She's dead because of you..."

xxx

"_NOOO!!!" _Link suddenly screamed lurching forwards from a nightmare; he had been doing so for the last week. As a result, Link had become reluctant to sleep, and whenever he could, he never woke rested. The cursed Ganondorf had decided to haunt him in his dreams again ever since he left the forest.

Navi had been by his side the entire time, conscious and aware of his dreams, but had been powerless to cure or repel such ravages on his mind.

After a moment of heavy breathing Link suddenly held and shook his head.

"It didn't happen, it didn't happen, it _didn't _happen!" Link whispered to himself over and over again, becoming less and less sure of himself each time he said it.

"Link…" Navi tried to say something soothing and sympathetic, but she knew there was nothing she could say.

"He killed her again," Link said needlessly, still far too exhausted to realize he was talking to a mind-reader.

"I know," Navi said rhetorically. "But, you know for certain that she's safe and in a better place," She added, trying to make him feel better.

Link glared at her.

"S-sorry," Navi stuttered, realizing her mistake, "I meant in the Sacred Realm."

The two sat for a while in silent disquietude, adrenaline still pumping through Link's veins and sweat still running down his face. They were so caught up in their thought that they even failed to notice someone approaching them.

"Not again…" Malon said exasperatedly, making both of them jump suddenly.

Both had momentarily forgotten that they decided to stop at Lon-Lon Ranch before continuing on their journey, and that Talon had been more than happy to accommodate them.

Link glanced out the window, it was still dark, but the sky in the east hinted of an indigo blue, signaling they were near dawn. He took a second glance at Malon now that his eyes had adjusted and noticed she was fully dressed in her work clothes.

"What are you doing up this early?" He asked curiously. His breathing slowly returned to normal.

Malon grinned, "I have to get up bright and early if I am to finish my chores by the end of the day."

With that, Link decided then and there that he would never be a rancher.

"And besides," Malon continued, "I was going to ask _you_ the same question."

Link broke eye contact and glanced out the window.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?" Malon said in a more matter-of-fact tone.

Link's eyes flared a little bit, and he kept his gaze fixed on the ranch outside the window.

"Yes," He said flatly.

Malon paused a bit before shyly moving on. "Do…do you want to talk about it?"

As soon as the words left her mouth Link shot Malon an icy stare that chilled her to the bone. Link kept his gaze fixated on Malon for a moment before casually glancing back outside.

"No," Link said needlessly.

Malon, a little startled, regained her courage quickly and dismissed herself from the room.

"W-Well, I'll be leaving you to yourself then. Breakfast will be ready in an hour, and Epona will be saddled up an hour after that."

"Thank you, Malon," Link said courteously, trying to make up for his hostility.

"There's no need for thanks, you've already done so much for us, Link. We don't know how to repay you."

"I really don't expect you to," Link said honestly, "all you can do is merely provide me sanctuary and company when I ever come to need it."

Malon flushed a little bit. "It will be done," she said, and then walked out of the room.

Navi waited until Malon was out of earshot before attempting to cheer Link up with a witty remark.

"Why is it that all the friends you happen to make are women?" Navi asked him cheekily.

Link gave her an awkward glance.

"…What?" He asked.

"Think about it, Saria, Zelda, Impa, Malon, Ruto…And I have a feeling more are on the way."

"Oh god," Link said suddenly, slapping his forehead.

"What?"

"Ruto."

This deserved a laugh from Navi.

"Yeah, may the goddesses have mercy on your soul…runaway _fiancée,_" She sung putting a teasing emphasis on "fiancée," and making sure it rhymed in that kiddy kind of way.

"It's funny too," she continued, playfully swinging around in the air, "Most of them have the hots for you."

"How would you know?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can read minds!" Navi said waving her arms, "Malon, Ruto, and Saria _all_ like you."

Outside the door, Malon fell off her eavesdropping perch.

Link knew all about Saria and Ruto, but Malon was news.

"Zelda too?" He asked cautiously.

"I had a lot of trouble digging into her thoughts, she is a prophet after all. I couldn't tell. But I would say it's likely, your new quest is to save _her_."

"Wait, wait, wait," Link said quickly trying to end this odd conversation as quickly as possible, "Isn't this stuff supposed to be private? I mean if fairies can read minds then I recall hearing that it's their duty to keep the information secret."

That deserved a moment of awkward silence from Navi.

"Well then I couldn't tell you _that_ could I?" She replied more sheepishly than witty. "My point is all your friends are girls and they like you whether you like them or not."

Link shot a dirty look at her, but couldn't argue; nearly all the friends he made _were_ actually women. In fact, all but one…

"Darunia!" Navi shouted aloud, after listening to his thought. "That reminds me, the cloud over Death Mountain! Darunia said that when it looks normal, the volcano is at peace—despite the fact that it's an active volcano."

"What about it?" Link asked, knowing what came next.

"Didn't you see it?" Navi asked incredulously, "There's no way it's normal."

Link stared back out the window, he could see Death Mountain from his vantage point and indeed saw the ominous cloud of red fire that circled the mountaintop.

"I think Darunia can wait for a few days." Link said.

"What?" Navi said more than asked.

"I have...unfinished business in the forest," Link answered haltingly, glancing at Cojiro, the charming and beautiful but silent Cucco.

"Ah…" Navi said with understanding. "But why didn't you do that while we were there?"

"I needed to recuperate," He replied truthfully, "I wasn't ready for another adventure just yet. Plus, the children would've found me sooner or later, and I didn't want anything to do with that..."

"Ok then, we better get on our way." Navi said.

Four the next hour, Link made ready all of his equipment; now a long and tedious process even though items like the bomb bag and his item sack were magically enchanted to make things easier. He put on his white jumpsuit then pulled the Kokiri tunic over his head, and then took care in putting the sickly Cojiro in his item sack.

He slung his quiver and bow over his shoulder and attached them to the frame on the back of the belt that went across his chest and held the sheath of the Master Sword. He secured the item sack to the frame on his back, and looked around for his bomb bag.

Though it was small, the Dodongo's stomach had been enchanted to hold 30 bombs inside it. While inside the pouch, they shrank to the size of a large marble, when withdrawn, they would return to their normal size and their fuse would light. Once he found it he made sure all thirty were present and accounted for, then tied it to his belt.

He then carefully withdrew the Forest Medallion and his sacred Ocarina out of a trunk. He stared at them thoughtfully for a moment, then put them around his neck and tucked them away inside his tunic.

The last thing he had to do was secure the Master Sword and Hylian Shield to his frame and he would be ready. He picked them up and lumbered downstairs where Talon was reading a book at the table. Malon was busy at the stove and looked a little red in the face, somewhat to Link's curiosity but he didn't think very much about it.

When he touched the bottom step Talon looked up from his book and smiled.

"Good mornin' kid. Ya sleep all righ'?"

"Um, yeah," Link lied. Malon shot him a quick glance but didn't say anything.

"Breakfast is almost ready. I'd be much obliged if you'd join us," Talon said.

Link rested his sword, shield, and bag against the wall. "No problem. Oh, and thank you very much for letting me stay so long."

"Boy, I don't wanna hear those words from yer mouth again," Talon said nearly reaching a stern tone of voice.

Link stiffened, wondering if his words had come off offensive in some way. To his relief, Talon chuckled a bit before continuing.

"Yeh saved Malon and the Ranch, yeh prevented Ingo from giving Epona to Ganondorf, and yeh inspired me to get my rear-'n-gear instead of lazin' around all day. You've done all that and all we've done for yeh is give yeh a bed and Epona when ya earned her anyway."

Again Link found it hard to argue. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Malon had put a giant plate of eggs, sausage, and bread in front of him, then quickly bustled to the cabinet and brought back a pitcher of milk.

"I'm not much of a cook," Malon said humbly, "But I hope it will suffice."

Without a doubt, Link had never tasted a better breakfast.

xxx

Link dismounted Epona at the entrance to the Forest and tried to sneak in as best he could. The children, he knew, would sense his presence but he wanted to keep away from them for now. He couldn't bear looking down on all of his friends. Mido was the only exception for that. Plus, as he knew would be, Link had become a new celebrity in the forest; and he didn't think he could deal with the publicity, even in a society of children.

Link sneaked through the log opening at the west end of the village bypassing a Kokiri boy snoozing at the entrance and ducked behind a tree-house, then climbed up to the ledge that would take him to the forest.

As soon as he stepped through the opening to the woods, Cojiro, from deep inside his bag let out an ear-shattering crow, and Link knew he was on the right path.

Link ran through the opening on his left and immediately came into the clearing where the carpenter's son had been sitting for quite some time. Link pulled out Cojiro gently and let him flap into the boy's arms. There, Cojiro crowed again and woke the boy from his slumber. The boy looked at the blue cucco blankly at first, but quickly regained some life in his eyes.

"C-Cojiro?" The boy said in a raspy voice. "Only a nice guy like me could tame you…"

He looked up at Link, who returned a stern look. The grog reached his gaunt arms out towards Link like a peddler begging for money, they shook and quivered as he spoke, and Link immediately understood that the boy was near death.

"Which means…" The boy continued, "You…you must be a nice guy too!"

Link opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted, the boy continued to speak disregarding Link entirely but speaking directly to him at the same time.

_He's reached the point of insanity._ Navi told Link in his mind. _He'll soon become a Stalfos like the rest._

Link looked upon the sickly boy with the deepest of pity. The boy however, paid no attention and just went right on talking.

"Please Mr. Nice Guy! Please take this and give it to that old hag in the potion shop," The boy said reaching for a large mushroom. He plucked it from the ground and as soon as he did, the mushroom seemed to deteriorate slightly. He tossed it to Link immediately.

Link barely caught the slippery mushroom and after some fumbling with it, turned back to the boy, only to find him cradling Cojiro and stoking him gently.

"A mushroom like this won't last very long," Link said aloud, examining the mushroom. "How long would you say we would have?"

Navi answered somewhat hesitantly, "About two hours."

Link gaped at her and immediately bolted for the log opening on the opposite end of the clearing. Not expecting him to bolt away, Navi struggled to keep up.

"What are you doing?" Navi asked curiously, sounding as if she had no idea.

"I'm helping him," Link answered through his teeth, not at all impressed with her lack of sympathy.

"It's a waste of time," Navi said dismissively, "he'll become a Stalfos even if--"

"What's wrong with trying?!" Link burst out, cutting her short.

"Because it's a lost cause!" Navi shouted back at him. "He is an outsider to the forest! The curse will claim the life of any soul who does not belong here!"

Link ran the rest of the way to the bean plant in silence. When he finally hopped on, Link glowered at Navi from the corner of his eye, while she only returned his icy stare.

"Are you saying that I don't belong here Navi?" Link asked at length.

"W-what?"

"Remember what the Deku Tree's son said? I was born a Hylian, and being as such, I do not belong here any more than _he_ does."

"Link, that's not--"

"According to you, yes it is," Link rebutted, interrupting her again.

A long moment of uneasiness passed between them.

"Alright, you win," Navi said begrudgingly.

"And what else?" Link said staring at the bridge they were approaching.

"And…I'M SORRY, OKAY?"

Link jumped and touched down on the bridge.

"Forget about it," Link said dismissively. "Let's just do this as best we can, okay?"

"You got it," Navi said automatically, breathing a small sigh of relief.

The two of them nearly spooked Epona when they burst out of the forest. Without missing so much as a beat, Link practically flew onto Epona's saddle and was gone after whispering a small prayer of speed and urgency to his gallant steed.

* * *

**Update notes: **meeehhhh, I couldn't do much here at all, could I? Although the title is different now...no one know's what 'convalescence' means anymore so I decided to change it. The dream sequence at the top is a lot more noticeable as an ad-on in comparison with the rest of the chapter that I did oh-so-long-ago...In all seriousness, there will be less and less things I can change in the stories as I move on through with the updates, and though I'd rather not change too much of the structure of the whole trading game sequence, I might not have a choice if I want to keep the quality of writing a little more 'up to date'. In this particular case though, I left most of the old cute/funny/humor stuff alone, seeing as the dream was a bit (understatement) uh...emo? Dark? Violent? er...yeah...Anyway, I'll see what I can do for the rest of the trading game, besides spell-checking every freaking sentence...I am really sorry I made it so emo (gah!). 

P.S. I am also uploading an updated chapter 5 along with this chapter.

P.P.S...convalescence means a slow and steady healing or growth over time...now go buy yourself a dictionary! 

**xXx:** Yes I will update as much as I can, but this will definitely take awhile. This'll be my first continuous story and after I'm done I have a few ideas for Majora's Mask as well.

**JUNA:** Ah…details, details…

**Raven, Sage of Death:** YAY! I'm inspiring people! - I'll look forward to reading it.

**Link, of Kokiri Forest:** I've only written four chapters and they never fail to impress you huh? I didn't think this story was that great, TyTyTy! -


	5. To Race With Time

**Chapter Five:**

**To Race With Time  
**

* * *

The ride to Kakariko was definitely a long one for Epona. Though she never ceased her pace, she had nearly tripped and thrown Link almost three times. When they crossed the bridge, Link let her slow down a bit. She was not even stopped yet when Link flew off the saddle in a fashion very similar to the way he first mounted.

Keeping the reigns in one hand, he touched down and threw them around the pine tree near the steps. He didn't even bother to see if the reigns had secured themselves and bolted up the stairway.

He crossed through the big wooden gate and kept a steady run through the village. Several times he nearly ran over children and other folk who happened to be in his way as he struggled to get to the East end of the village.

He ran up the small stairway that put him directly in front of Miko Hakeda's chicken coop. She waved hello and tried to get him to stop but all she received was a: "Run now, talk later!"

As he ran up the long staircase that led to the windmill Link reached into his item sack and pulled out his Hookshot, he did not slow to climb the fence.

"You know you're only going to have one chance at this," Navi told him.

"I'm perfectly aware of that," He replied, quickening his pace. "Here goes nothing..."

Link jumped two feet away from the fence and brought his feet in front of him while at his vertex. He came down with precision on the thin wood rail and coiled up like a spring. While gaining the potential energy for his leap of faith, Link brought up his hookshot and fired at the wood shingles on the roof.

Link's miraculous jump did not exactly go as planned, the hookshot locked in shortly after his jump, therefore when it latched on the house, Link was sent careening into the metal-plated wall of the apothecary.

It took Navi several minutes to stop laughing and five slaps across the face to get him conscious again. Once he was awake she reminded him that suicide was not the answer to his problems.

Swaying like a drunk, Link entered the Old Hag's potion shop. As soon he stepped through the door, he was confronted by the Hag at the other side of the room.

"A simple knock will suffice Mr. Link," she said not giving him a single glance.

"S-sorry," Link said holding his head.

The old hag suddenly stopped her work and pointed her long nose high in the air.

"I smell something…yes you have something for me don't you? Give it here," she ordered.

"I'll take it from here, Link," Navi said diving into his item sack. Several seconds later she emerged carrying the spoiling mushroom and barely made it to the old lady's counter before passing out; due both to the nauseating aroma of the spore and the exhaustion of flying it to her destination.

"What's this?" the granny said to herself, "Bah! That fool, running off into the forest…Ah well, I wouldn't have made your journey for nothing, though I'm sure the forest's curse has taken him already. There's bound to be some Kokiri around who might want to buy the medicine off you."

"Um, how long is it going to take?" Link asked trying to clear his head.

"Oh about twenty minutes to a half-hour. Come back then and it'll be ready," the hag said disappearing behind the curtain.

Link stood up and walked out of the shop.

"Are you ok?" Navi asked as they got outside.

"Yeah...yeah I'm fine" Link said walking off the ledge.

"Why me?" Navi asked herself as she watched her partner collide with the ground below.

Link got up later and was led by Navi to the other potion shop and purchased a red potion, which quickly restored him to full health. He then went over to Ms. Hakeda to apologize for his rudeness; she only waved it off.

"I figured you were doing something for my brother," She surmised intuitively, "Though I can't really say that saving his life is the better thing, I will thank you for trying."

"Trying?" Link asked raising an inquiring eyebrow.

Miko shifted uncomfortably, realizing her mistake.

"Well…he's been in the forest a long time," she explained, "You've heard the rumors of the curse haven't you?"

"I have," link said, giving a not-so-subtle glare at Navi.

"I last saw him maybe two months ago," Miko said.

"Two months?" Navi suddenly inquired, taking control of the conversation.

Miko stared at the sky as if looking at some invisible calendar.

"Yes. Yes, I'm sure it was no less than two months ago."

"There's no way…" Navi said to herself, "He's lasted so much longer than the others."

"There you go again with 'the others' thing," Link said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

Navi ignored Link turned to Miko, "Although it may sound silly, do you know if he possessed any spiritual strength?"

Miko looked at the ground. "No…I -I mean he wouldn't would he? He must have been so lonely though."

"I didn't sense any strength seven years ago. I poured into his weak mind and found that he was on the brink of suicide."

Link rubbed the bump on his head subconsciously.

"What does this have to do with his sojourn in the forest?" Miko asked.

"Everything," Navi replied, "and that is no sojourn. Any strangers that wander into the forest will become monsters within one week. Two months is extraordinary for a mind of his 'caliber.'"

"What do you mean by that?" Miko and Link asked in unison.

"The curse easily manipulates the minds of the weak, though he may have been weak in strength, he obviously possessed some inner strength that allowed him to live that long."

"Will you please stop talking in the past tense?" Link said rolling his eyes.

"Well all of this is surprising…but I don't get what you could be after," Miko said.

"He may have left something behind…" Navi's voice trailed off, leaving the other two clueless.

_I hate it when you do that. _Link thought.

_I hate it when you walk off cliffs._ Navi returned, _You don't make my job any easier._

Link rubbed his head again.

"W-well…if he did leave something behind…could you bring it back?" Miko asked meekly.

"Of course I will," Link said quickly then bid goodbye to Ms. Hakeda.

"I suppose we might find a Stalfos with a blue cucco on its shoulder. If I can manage it, I'll bring that cucco right back."

Miko laughed nervously, "Yes, well in any case I hope your journey is a safe one. Take care."

Link nodded then walked away. Once out of Miko's sight, he let out a long sigh.

"What?" Navi asked.

"Please tell me that's not how families act around here..."

"Come again?"

Link gave his face an once-over with his hand, "They're all family, but they don't love each other at all…they acted like they don't care that his life is in danger."

"You don't know that." Navi countered.

"Really now…do you?" Link glanced at Navi through his hair.

Navi was silent for some time.

"I can sense it," She said at length.

"You sense a lot of stuff nowadays."

"I'm not lying!" She said haughtily, "No, that is not how families normally act but it is the way he treated them! They feel no sympathy for him because he chose to hate everything on this Earth. He gave no care for the world and so the world gave no care for him."

"How sad…" Link seemed distraught.

"Link, I know you never knew what it was like to have a family," she continued, "but trust me, they do love him, in fact--" Navi suddenly stopped, "Wait, that's it!" she exclaimed.

"What's it?" Link's curiosity piqued.

"He drew strength by the love of his family. That's how he did it."

"Huh?"

"That, or total regret of his life, missing the people he loved, desperation to get out of there, etc." Navi droned.

"Do strong spirits leave something behind when they pass on?" He asked.

"Exactly," Navi responded, "Could be anything that he valued, his spirit trapped in a bottle, a mask with special powers, who knows?"

"Well what ever it is we can't get it until his mother is done with the medicine."

"Right…Hey, how about a new quiver?" Navi asked, glancing at the brick building.

"What?"

"I hear it's the same guy who gave you the larger bullet bag in Hyrule Market. You have a bow now, you can probably get a bigger quiver." She explained.

Link couldn't turn down the chance of shooting down more enemies with his new favorite weapon, "Alright, why not?"

"Oy! If it aint th' fairy boy from the forest!" The archer exclaimed.

"You recognize me?" Link asked. The second he had walked through the door, the host nearly blew him over with his sudden cry of excitement.

"Course I recognize you, boy. You th' little fella that got a perfect score! How could I forget you?"

Link's entire village had forgotten him.

"Well…I…uh…" He trailed off.

The hunter chuckled, "Well you wanna play? It's a little more challenging than before y'know."

"Is it now? Well then is it still twenty rupees for a game?"

"Sure is," The host said, receiving a red rupee, "Ok the rules are th' same as before, tell me when you're ready."

Link walked up to the stand and drew his bow, the hunter whistled at the perfectly crafted weapon then pulled a crank behind the counter when Link waved at him.

_Any clues? _He asked Navi silently.

_They're all out of order, _she replied, _it's just been randomized._

_Thanks. _Thought Link.

_No problem…cheater._ Came her witty you're welcome.

He had no time to argue as suddenly a giant blue rupee zoomed in from the right. He twisted his torso and let his first arrow fly.

The arrow shattered the flimsy blue crystal with almost no effort. Another came from the left and he destroyed it the same way. Then two red rupees calmly started to float across to the left from the right at the back of the range. Link fired a first arrow and shattered the latter rupee. He drew another arrow and missed the first. Frantically, he drew another arrow and attempted to hit the giant rupee before it passed out of sight. His third arrow struck slightly left of the desired mark, but shattered the crystal nonetheless.

Link breathed a slight sigh of relief and drew another arrow. He raised his bow as a green rupee suddenly shot up and out of the center post. He fired as it reached its apex and destroyed it as well. Now, the other two red rupees appeared and moved across to the right. Link drew two arrows from the bag this time and waited until the rupees reached the center of the range.

_You aren't that good._ Navi said in his mind.

He let the double shot fly, and both struck their mark precisely.

_I don't suppose I am, but then how good is a pro?_ Link grinned widely as his partner looked stupidly at the hit counters on the floor. He drew his last arrow and easily destroyed the last green rupee easily.

"Amazing! Another perfect score!" The hunter shouted. "Come 'ere boy, lemme see that bow."

Link obeyed and handed the Fairy Bow to the game host. He whistled again.

"'Tis a fine bow," he said going over the flawless crafting, "It's enchanted isn't it?"

"It is," Navi said, "people like Link can pull back the string like soft rubber, and the arrow will fly with the power of perhaps one-hundred and twenty pounds of resistance."

Indeed the shopkeeper mounted an arrow and appeared to have much more difficultly pulling it back than Link, even though he was a very strong man.

"Tis a very fine bow…" The archer looked at Link auspiciously, "So…you are the one who rid the forest of all those monsters," He was speaking a little differently now

"I am," Link said as his eyes flared, "How did you know?"

The host laughed, "I'm a hunter, boy. Up until two years ago I was a ranger under the service of our late king."

Link raised an eyebrow. The hunter had not aged a day for seven years; he would have had a hard time as a ranger with arms as thick as pipelines…though they could pass for tree limbs.

"Eh…I'd get 'em before they got me," The host explained, seeing the look on his face. "Well in any case, here is your prize." He reached below the counter and drew a beautifully crafted leather quiver.

"It's made of leather instead of wood so your arrows won't rattle around in there; and trust me boy, you don't want to be bringing on a racket while walking through Lord Ganondorf's door."

"You seem to know much that is hidden, sir," Link said in a low voice.

"Indeed…" The hunter said scratching his head, "I have my sources."

Link leaned in closer to him, "And those are…"

"I am forbidden to tell you, boy, but they're _good_ sources…if you get my meaning."

Link nodded his head once then spoke up, "Well I'll be on my way then."

The host smiled widely, "I hope your prize will come of great service to you Master Link, take care."

Link said goodbye and walked out the door.

"Do you think Sheik was around here?" Link asked Navi after they stepped outside.

"Well it makes sense," came the reply, "He said he was a ranger, so is Sheik in a way. They could have been working together at sometime. Oh and don't forget this is Kakariko Village. The Sheikah lived here before the Hylians did."

"Well at any rate he's long gone," Link sighed.

"Huh? Do you want to talk to him or something?" Navi asked.

"Of course! It seems that every time he appears he's gone after thirty seconds."

"It seems that way because it _is_ thirty seconds, Link. What do you want from him anyway?"

"Answers."

"To what?"

Link was silent. "Nothing," he said at length, "Forget it."

The two walked around to the windmill again and climbed up the long staircase. Link sat on the iron fence again and aimed his hookshot at the roof once more.

"Now what are you doing?" Navi asked.

"Getting something?" Link replied.

"The mushroom? It hasn't been a half hour yet?"

"I'm not getting the mushroom."

"Then what? Do you like flying into doors?"

Link glared at Navi then fired his hookshot. The attempt was successful this time and Link was safely pulled up to the roof.

The hook unlatched with a small tug and Link walked over to man on the edge of the roof. His back was to Link but he spoke up when Link was a few steps away from him.

"I uh…saw that little shenanigan of yours back there," he said.

"You see everything in this village," came the reply.

"True…." The man said.

"So what are you doing?" Link asked.

"I…I was thinking of jumping off."

Link peered over the edge then glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye, "It's a long way down..."

"I'm very aware of that," the man said trying to steady his shaking limbs, "but have nothing to lose…except this." The man held out a piece of heart. "I want you to have this," he said.

Link took the priceless gift and absorbed it into his being. He looked at the man for a long while then said, "So are you really going to jump?"

"I said I was thinking about it," The man said, "and uh…it was nice to see you again."

Link chuckled softly, "You too," he said, then jumped of the roof.

After another ten minutes of walking around the village, Link and Navi finally returned to the potion shop. When they walked in, they were yet again confronted by the hag in the back of the shop.

"Tah! Where have you two been? I had enough time to put preservatives in it!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry," Link said rolling his eyes.

The medicine was wrapped in wax paper and put a leather envelope. Link took it and examined the contents. The medicine was the same color as the mushroom from which it was derived, and felt like a gelatin substance.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Navi chided, "Stop poking it and let's go!"

Navi's sudden remark caused him to fumble around with the envelope for a second or two then he ran out the door.

"You really need to pay more attention," Navi lectured, "Just remember those stairs…"

Link stopped grinding his teeth and allowed himself a flashback of tumbling down the stone steps in the Sacred Meadow, then shuddered. Once again he found himself at a loss for words that might defend him from Navi's brutal onslaught of words.

There was a small silence between the two as they headed for the west exit.

"I hate it when you do that," Link said at length.

"What?" Navi asked in a sarcastic and teasing tone, "Win? Or make it impossible for you to even respond because you know I'm right?"

Another moment of disquietude passed between them.

"Yeah...that," Link said quietly and reluctantly.

The two exited the village and found Epona casually drinking the water from the river. When she heard them approach, she lifted up and trotted a little of the ways to them. Link climbed up and spurred her into action.

xxx

To Epona's relief, the return trip wasn't nearly as hasty as the first. Nonetheless, Link kept her at a steady gallop the entire way. It only took them two hours to reach their destination. Again, Link easily slipped by the lazy Kokiri at the entrance and entered the Lost Woods. He took the log entrance to his left and prayed he wasn't too late; but naturally, fate had different plans.

He ran over to where the boy once sat to find none other than Arisa, Saria's closest friend. He looked around for any sign of the boy but found none, then looked at her. He remembered Arisa as a happy and giddy little girl, but upon closer inspection of her he saw that the spirited look that once dominated her visage had all but disappeared. Somehow, Link knew in his heart that she suffered the same pain as he did.

"Wh-where is the boy?" Link stammered, forcing this thoughts back to the task at hand.

For reasons even Navi couldn't tell, the question sent Arisa into a short spasm of giggling.

"Stop that! Where is he?" Link trying to pushing back the feeling of anxiety rising in his chest.

"He's not here," Arisa said and laughed again, "Everyone who enters the forest becomes a Stalfos."

Link swallowed. For someone that used to be so carefree, she seemed rather interested with the curse of the forest.

_I told you so…_Navi chided him once again.

Link ignored her then used his piercing glance to telescope into the depths of Arisa's heart—finding nothing.

"Where did he go?" Link asked in a distraught voice.

"Where did _you_ go?" Arisa replied.

"What?"

"You heard me! Where did you go? Or was it that you were never here?"

Link finally realized what she was talking about. He clenched his fists.

"Don't delude yourself," He said in a low tone, and his gaze hardened. "You don't even know who I am..."

"Know you? Of course I do! How could I forget? _You _are the liar that never came back!" Arisa shouted.

Link clenched his fists harder and eyes started to radiate their cold, blue light.

"I watched Saria cry for seven years Link! She loved and needed you, but you were never there for her! So now she's gone and it's all because of you! So leave again Link, and this time, _don't_ come back!"

With that, Link's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, and he would've slain his old friend on the spot had Navi not intervened.

_Link! Control yourself! She's grief stricken, can't you see that? She doesn't know at all what she is saying! _Navi said, her voice booming into his head. She batted against the back of his hand until he released his grip on his sword.

With a superior show of will, Link allowed the rage to flood out of him.

"Arisa," he said through his teeth, "you were forced to watch Saria cry for those seven long years, but what do you think I did?"

"You didn't come back."

"But do you know why?" He asked her, pressing forward with his point.

"No, but you didn't come back and that's all that matters. You came back for the boy here, but you wouldn't come back for her."

Link closed his eyes sighed. Kneeling down in front of her, Link rummaged around in his tunic until he found the Forest Medallion, then pressed it tightly into her tiny hands.

"You see, Arisa, that's where you're wrong..." Link whispered.

A single ray of light that broke through the trees had shined upon the Forest Medallion and the reflected green light illuminated both their faces. As the glittering light danced upon her face, Arisa felt Saria's presence from within the medallion, and her eyes began to brim with tears. As Link knew it would, Arisa's senses had returned by simply holding the medallion.

He leaned closer to her. "How do you think I feel? To one moment be the boy who you remember and the next be the man he would become seven years later? To suddenly realize that his love was in mortal danger, save her, and never see her again? I never asked for any of it..."

"I- I'm sorry Link, I didn't mean to be so cruel," Arisa said, valiantly fighting the urge to break down in front of him.

Link wiped away a tear running down her cheek, "It's alright. Just don't cry, okay? It doesn't suit you."

Arisa embraced him for a few seconds before letting go and embarrassedly wiping away any last traces of her tears. The cheery glow in her face was returning already. Link stood back up and—having nothing else to do here, began to walk towards the log exit.

"W-Wait, Link!" Arisa cried, suddenly remembering something. Link watched her curiously as she began to drag something heavy out from behind the tree trunk.

"This is what he left behind Link," Arisa explained. She looked at it for a second then peered curiously at Link. A sly grin spread over her face.

"You can have this, just don't go and turn into a Stalfos on me, okay?" She said.

Link's face faulted a little bit, but he smiled at the grim humor.

_Trust someone like Arisa to say something like that…_He thought, but he was glad she was back to normal.

He took the saw and stuffed it in his item pack then stood up to leave once more.

"Oh, and just so you know, Kurta and the other Know-It-Alls were growing that mushroom." Arisa said quickly.

"Huh?" Link paused mid-stride, "Why?"

"The twins are sick from Skulltuwalla bites," She explained, "Since the Deku Tree died, Kurta was hoping he could venture to Kakariko to make the mushroom into medicine for them."

Link was enough of a Kokiri to know that his old friends would soon die if not cured. He smiled down at Arisa and reached into his item sack. He withdrew the leather envelope containing the medicine.

"Give them this, and call me in the morning," he said.

Confused, Arisa took the envelope and opened it gingerly. Her eyes lit up when she smelled the poignant fragrance of the mushroom.

"Oh wow! Thank you Link!" She said excitedly. She jumped up and hugged him once again then ran towards the log opening that led to the village.

"Have a safe journey and thanks so much!" She called over her shoulder.

Link stared after her for a while in silence then slowly turned for the log opening that would take him out of the forest.

xxx

"So what do you think we should do with it?" Link said lazily twirling the saw around.

The pair of travelers had stopped in the middle of Hyrule field for a full day of well-deserved rest. Link was lying on his back in the grass with one hand cushioning his head. The other hand held the saw. Navi was idly gliding around in the breeze.

"I don't know," she said, "who does it really belong to?"

Link raised an eyebrow, "Well, it wouldn't be the boy in the forest now would it?" He said sarcastically.

"It's not," Navi replied.

"Huh?"

"I said that's not his saw. I'm guessing it's his father's, but I could be wrong..."

Link rolled his eyes, "A-n-n-n-n-d where might he be? He wasn't in Kakariko Village."

Navi perched on a flower and glowered at her partner, "You really think I know these things, don't you?"

"Well...fine then," he sighed standing up, "he might be in the desert. That's the only place we haven't been to yet. I guess we'll start there."

Navi suddenly became exited, "Wow! My partner is actually thinking on his own now!"

She ignored the knives being glared at her head and flew up to his cheek to hug it.

"I'm so proud!" She said mockingly, "West it is then? Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Link grumbled the entire three hours it took for them to reach the canyon. When they came to the entrance, Link found that he had to dismount Epona and manually walk her up the wood plank in order to keep her from getting spooked. After this feat was accomplished, Link then found he would have to get Epona to jump over the canyon due to the sudden disappearance of the wooden bridge. Surprisingly, this was even easier than the previous task, as Epona jumped the fifteen feet wide gap with only having to be spurred once.

After clearing the broken bridge Link came across none other than his target, the Master Carpenter.

He was ranting as usual and nearly blew Navi away with the mighty wind of his breath.

"Who are you?" The carpenter demanded.

Link thought a little before replying, "I am whatever the situation calls me to be. Today, I am a messenger."

"Oh?" The Carpenter said curiously.

Link reached into his item pack, withdrew the long saw and held it out to the Carpenter.

"Th-That's MY saw!" he yelled, "I thought I left that back with my old lady! How did you come to find it?"

"Your son stole it from your household and—"

"He WHAT?" The carpenter bellowed, "That coward! Just wait 'till I get my hands on him! Where is he?"

"Sir, your son is dead," Link said firmly.

"Wh-What?"

"Your son ventured into the Lost Woods, where I tried to save his life, but failed," Link placed the saw in the carpenter's hands, "This, is all that he left for you..."

The carpenter was at a loss for words, "Wh-what do you mean?" He stammered.

"I'll spare you the details as they are long and even I have yet to grasp the basics, but all I know is that he had a great strength near the end of his life, and that is why he left you this relic."

"And he missed me? ...My son...missed _me_?" The carpenter asked croakily.

"It was _your _saw he left behind, I think that means he had something to tell you in his own way...before he died."

A silence filled the air as the carpenter stared at his possession and fought away the tears that were threatening his eyes.

At length the carpenter said, "Well then…I thank you for trying to save his life. And…thank you for telling me."

Link bowed, "Today, I am a messenger," He repeated.

Suddenly the Carpenter rushed into his tent and came out again with the broken helm of a sword.

"Well then a man like you cannot go unpaid for your labors," He said sternly.

Link jumped back, "Oh yes I can."

"Well then think of is not as compensation, but a thanks from a friend…I know it's not much of a gift but it's all I've got."

The carpenter held out the broken blade to Link, "It was once a great sword of great power, I was using it as an ax until it finally broke. If you want to use it you will have to find some way to forge it again."

Link reluctantly took the broken helm and placed it in his item sack then bowed again.

"You have my condolences sir." He said, then started back to the tent but was stopped by the Carpenter.

"Sir?" Link asked.

"I- I was wondering if you could do one more favor for me young man," The carpenter said meekly.

"Of course! What might that be?" Link asked.

"My fellow workers…" The carpenter paused and his face suddenly flushed red again, "They...They went to the fortress!"

"And…?"

"And they haven't come back! We came here to fix the bridge, but they all ran off to become thieves with those Gerudos! I fear they may have been captured."

"And you want me to go get them?" Link asked dully.

"Well…yes. I can tell that you are a man of courage and valor are you not?"

Link sub-consciously tugged at his gauntlet, "Yes, I suppose so. Don't worry, I will save your comrades; but I'm afraid they're going to have to wait. Right now I have other business to do, so I'll get to them when I can."

The carpenter studied Link for a moment then smiled, "Yes, I can see it! Your kind, sir, comes few and far between. You'll willingly risk your life for whoever needs a whim tended to, and yet you refuse to be compensated for your endeavors. You have no thoughts of greed, only thoughts for what's right." The carpenter bowed deeply, "I wish you a safe journey, Hero of Time, it was an honor to cross paths with you."

Link contained his surprise and dismissed himself in silence.

After the pair of wanderers left the canyon they had much to talk about.

_How did he know about my…um…title? _Link wondered.

_He must have been involved with the resistance against Ganondorf somehow. You know, like the Archer in Kakariko. Also, while we were there, I noticed a lot of people knew about the curse being lifted from the forest._ Navi replied.

_Well, at any rate it's starting to get annoying…for the first part of my journey I was: "Mr. Hey What's Your Face?" or "Gee you sure look familiar Mister." Now everyone seems to know me for some reason._

_Some people are more than you think they are…YOU are one of those people aren't you?_ Navi said to him.

"Yeah…I guess so…" Link said aloud, "Well what do you make of the sword then?" He took the broken helm out of his item sack and slowed Epona to a quick trot.

Navi examined the helm for a few seconds then suddenly became wild with excitement.

"Link! This is the Biggoron's Sword!" She said flying in rapid circles.

"Um…is that good?" Link asked.

"Of course it is! This is said to be the most powerful sword in Hyrule made by Biggoron himself! It will never break either!"

Link stared at the broken blade, "…Really now?"

"That one's probably centuries of years old!" She said quickly, "They say that is was so long that the wielder would have to use both hands to use it."

"Just how powerful is it?" Link asked.

"I'd say that it would slay any dungeon lord within ten strikes!" Navi said waving her arms.

Link grinned slyly, "And the carnage just _fascinates_ you, doesn't it?" He observed.

Navi returned a vicious smile that made his blood curl, and the two rode the rest of the way to the Ranch in nervous silence.

* * *

**Update Notes: **Eh, not to pleased with this one. I did change a few key points in this chapter to make them more consistent with the rest of the story. I got rid of the song...outdated, not much apparent relation to the chapter. You have no idea how grammatically incorrect I was when I first posted this (or...maybe you do)...it was kind of embarrassing to go through it and make a correction once each line. Try as I might, it was hard to get a hold of the black and white mood transitions all over the place here (see the old notes below). I tried to make them a little better, but if I kept changing things I was going to lose the mood all together...sorry about that. 

Old notes:

OK! OK! SO IT WASN'T GOING TO COVER THE WHOLE TRADING GAME...it…was just getting a little to long…GAH! Um…if I ever say I'm going to do something again…don't believe me lol. Ok well I went TOTALLY haphazard on this one but I realized that I had to finish it sometime soon because I'm going to be very busy the next few months. I tried to delete some of the stuff that didn't really belong in here. A friend of mine read over the story so far and told me that the transitions between happy and sad moods simply don't exist. This is because, of course, I added too much pointless stuff and it became very difficult correctly place the important parts of the story. You saw a lot that in chapter 1 and chances are you'll see it again in the rest of the chapters…so…don't…hate me…

And now for your reviews….

**Anthony Bault:** Yes…I mean it's obvious isn't it? Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

**Emiger: **Huh? PG-13? What is this word? ;) lol, it's only rated that because of a few bad words here and there and violence…of course. Oh and I have a ton of Lyrics up my sleeve…some aren't as fitting as others and I'm gonna try replace the lyrics in a chapter of mine (cant think of it now) so they are more fitting.

**JIJ: **:Chibi grin: Okey Doeky!

**Link of Kokiri Forest:** I'm just really humble I guess…where you guys see a good story, I see a text book full of typos and excuses for them (see author's notes) x.x

**Greki:** The greatest advantage of owning a book, whether reading or writing it, is that you may open it anytime you want.

Once again thanks for reading and keep the reviews rolling!


	6. A Lost Warrior's Reflection

Disclaimer stuff….

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~~~~~~~~

.

Talon looked at the Biggoron Helm with curiosity. 

"Well…I've never heard of ah giant Goron, but I have heard of the sword." He said "'Supposed to be a real stinger right?"

"Where did you hear about it?" Link asked.

Link, Malon, and Talon were all seated in the stable. Link was cleaning the rusted helm of the sword, Malon was milking a cow, Talon was going over several letters, and all the while Navi was sitting passively in Epona's mane, listening to their conversation.

Talon looked up and scratched his head, "Well…way back when we were buildin' this here stable, the carpenter and his bunch came over and—"

"Was chopping down a bunch of trees with it?" Link finished for him.

Talon's brows furrowed, "How'd yeh know that? He was showin' it off like it was the King's! 'Sure seemed like it though, he chopped 'em all down with one swing!"

Link snorted, "Doesn't surprise me," he said under his breath, "I uh, met him yesterday…he wasn't to happy."

"Was it because you had his sword?" Malon asked walking over to join the circle. 

"No." Link said wiping the sword down with a rag, "He gave me the sword."

Talon nearly fell backwards.

"He jus' _gave _it to yeh? What'd yeh do for him?" Talon asked.

Link didn't look up from the sword, "I traded him his old saw back."

Talon leaned in a little closer, "And where'd yeh get the saw? Yeh had to do somethin' pretty grand besides a trade."

Malon caught a flicker of light behind Link's eyes and remained silent. Talon, however, didn't seem to notice. 

"Well? Did yeh ste—"

_That's enough, Talon._ Navi said to him in his head.

Talon jumped and looked around. "Who…? What was…?"

_It's ME. _Navi said changing her color from red to white to get his attention.

Talon spotted her and looked at the traffic light with a confused expression on his face. 

_You want to know why Link received that hilt?_

Talon nodded his head a little unsurely.

_Link, in his pathetic sympathy, tired to save the Carpenter's son from the curse of the forest. He failed, and then went to the carpenter to tell him of his son's fate, and return the saw that the boy had taken._

Talon turned and studied Link. He had yet to raise his head, but now Talon could clearly see that his eyes were alight and blazing. 

_When he returned to the forest with medicine for the boy, he only found scorn and hatred from a friend of his childhood. _

Talon then turned to Link and was silent for a long while.

Malon stared at Link with her hand cupped over her mouth. Navi had allowed her to listen to the story, and now tears were gathering around the edges of her eyes. She tried to stay silent, but her affection for Link got the best of her.

"Link, I—" She started.

_That will do Malon. _Navi stopped her.

Like her father, she jumped, but regained her composure faster.

_If you want to, we can talk._

Malon agreed silently then dismissed herself from the circle without a word. Navi flew out through the opening in the rafters.

Once out of earshot of the stable Malon let go of her control.

"What in the world happened to him Navi?" She nearly shouted, "I can't take the look in his eyes that he gives us." She covered her face with her hands then regained some of her control.

Navi's light dimmed a little bit, "I'm not sure you want to know Malon, but if you insist then don't say I warned you!"

"I just want to know what happened that was so horrible…that he gives me that look...." Malon said.

"Malon, Link is not your average man, traveler, or Hero for that matter," Navi began, "He is the Hero of _Time_, the man destined to free Hyrule and lead it to a golden age of prosperity."

"And what's so bad about that?" Malon asked with a tint of anger in her voice.

"You have no idea…" Navi said in a low and deadly tone, "Long before he was even born he was destined to carry this burden."

"Burden? What burden his he carrying besides that shield and blasted sword?" Malon nearly shouted. 

Navi was silent for a few moments, "Ah yes…that sword…" 

Suddenly Navi exploded and flew right up into Malon's face.

"You little brat! You see his eyes, but you can't see _into_ them! Seven years ago Link drew that accursed sword from the Sacred Pedestal of Time! With it, came unbearable consequences. The second after he withdrew it, he awoke, a man, seven years later! He found the world around him in ruins when that previous second it had been so full of life! Quite a transition don't you think?"

Malon jumped back from the little harpy in shock.

"You have NO idea of how much he's suffered! After he became a man he was given the responsibility of saving Hyrule from the Dark King, and in order to do so, he would have to free the elemental sages from their prisons. This is a responsibility that should have _never _been put on his shoulders!"

"Where are you going with this?" Malon asked shakily. 

"He's only a boy! A Kokiri boy! And THAT'S just the beginning! Navi bellowed, "Seven years ago Link was in love…"

Malon swallowed and turned away from Navi's ferocity. The fairy knew Malon was blushing, so she let the words sink in.

"Her name was Saria…the Elemental Sage of the Forest." Navi completed in a low tone.

With that Malon turned to Navi, the color drained from her face, and tears once again came to her eyes.

"So…that's why he—"

"No—Not yet…I'm not finished." Navi said callously. 

Malon sank to the ground and leaned her back against the house, "So then what?" She said blearily.

"As soon as he learned his love was in mortal danger, he rushed to the forest to destroy the monster that imprisoned her. He was successful…to some extent..."

Malon looked at the fairy questioningly.

"Link defeated the phantom that haunted the Forest Temple, but when he did so, Saria was awakened as a sage. He will never see her in the Living Realm again, for she now resides in the Sacred one. He has suffered every single day since then, despite my valiant efforts to keep his mind off the subject. The many nightmares that you walked in on were ones of Ganondorf repeatedly killing Saria right in front of Link. And so, the look in his eyes is the reflection of the fire at the core of his being. When he gives you that look, he also gives you a taste of that fire burning within him. It _tortures_ him Malon, so take it as a warning, _not_ as an invitation."

Malon was silent. For a few moments, all that could be heard was the sounds of the ranch at night.

Navi, now calmed, spoke in a somewhat softer voice, "Malon, I know you love him. But although you don't want to hear it, you know your love's unrequited."

The brutal onslaught of words was more than Malon could bear, and she burst into tears. 

"Unrequited love is never wanted, but—" Navi started to say.

"Sometimes it's just too bad." Ingo walked around the corner of the house.

His appearance made the two jump a mile. 

"I know how you feel, my own parents didn't love me, nor did your mother Malon, but it was just too bad. I couldn't do anything about it, and neither can you." He said almost nonchalantly.

Malon's sadness immediately turned to anger, "Oh what would _you_ know traitor? How could _you _understand?"  
"I just told you" he said with a bored expression on his face, "Master Link made me see the light. And if you weren't blinded by your own selfishness, you'd see it too." 

"How dare—" Malon started, the anger threatening to consume her.

Ingo spun around, "How dare YOU! How dare you speak of unrequited love when you have no idea of what it's like! Only now do you receive a taste of it! And how dare you sing your mother's song in the field when unrequited love was the bane of my existence!"

Ingo quickly caught himself and regained his expressionless countenance. "I'm sorry if you think I was eavesdropping, you two just talk really loud." With that, Ingo continued on to the stable, and didn't look back at them once.

After another long moment of utter silence, Navi finally turned back to Malon.

"We leave tomorrow and we're not going to be back for a while," she said, "If I were you, I'd tell Link how you feel before we leave, but don't expect a hug or a kiss." Then, Navi left Malon in her thoughts and headed back to the stable to meet up with her partner. 

.

.

"So? What happened?" Link inquired Navi the next morning.

The two were just getting ready to set off to Death Mountain and Link was curious about what Navi and Malon talked about.

"We had a girl talk." Navi said quietly.

"So she knows then?" Link asked.

Navi began to speak but was interrupted by the appearance of Malon.

Navi smiled, "Well, you'll find out." She said, then glided over to Epona. She flew past Malon on the way.

_Good luck, _she said to Malon cheekily. 

Malon swallowed and approached Link, who had just put his equipment on.

"Um, I just wanted to wish you a good journey." She said in a faltering voice.

Link smiled, "You know you can just tell me what's on your mind right?" he said, though he already knew what was coming.

Malon looked at him with pity pasted all over her face, then she suddenly leaned in closer and embraced Link.

"Navi told me everything that happened to you Link, I'm so sorry." She said with her head buried in his chest.

Link returned the hug a little unsurely and glared at Navi, who was watching them from the stable with a definite look of interest on her face. 

"It's ok…I guess…" Link said starting to blush.

"No it's not." Malon said with her face still in his chest, "I see it in your eyes Link, just like everyone else. You're hurt."

Link realized that the girl was now starting to pour her heart out at his feet. He stayed silent. 

"I know about Saria too. How you tried to save her…I'm just sorry that this all happened to you Link."

Link nearly jumped back in surprise. He looked down at Malon, then to Navi, who was leaning off the edge of a windowsill, intent on hearing everything. 

"Malon…I" Link tried to say something, but failed miserably when Malon brought her head up to look at him.

"I just wanted you to know…" She said, then closed her eyes and kissed him.

Navi fell off the windowsill, and Epona, also watching, snorted loudly and shook her head. Link was at a loss for words, and seemed paralyzed. 

When she parted from Link she began to blush incessantly then withdrew from him as quickly as she had closed in. 

"Just remember that." She said walking to the stable.

Navi mastered herself after a long session of uncontrollable giggling, then eagerly turned to Malon to question her. 

_What was that about? _Navi thought, the urge to laugh threatening to get the best of her again.

_I thought about what you and Ingo said, _Malon returned, _even if my love is unrequited, then at least I will let him know that it isn't on this end. And if I wouldn't get a hug or kiss, then I would make sure that I gave one._

_Cute…Taking the initiative…_Navi thought. _Well, you're certainly a girl of strategy and perseverance. I'll give you that much…_Then she smiled at the still reddening girl then flew over to her partner.

.

_Until the day I die,_

_I'll spill my heart for you._

_Until the day I die,_

_I'll spill my heart for you._

_._

_As years go by, I race the clock with you,_

_But if you died right now,_

_You know that I'd die too._

_ [I'd die too]_

_._

_You remind me of the times when I knew who I was,_

_[When I knew who I was]_

_But still the second hand will catch us,_

_Like it always does._

_._

_We'll make the same mistakes,_

_I'll take the fall for you,_

_I hope you need this now,_

_'Cause I know that I still do._

_._

_Until the day I die,_

_[Until the day I die]_

_I'll spill my heart for you._

_Until the day I die,_

_[Until the day I die]_

_I'll spill my heart for you._

_._

_Should I bite my tongue?_

_Until blood soaks my shirt,_

_We'll never fall apart,_

_Tell me why this hurts so much._

_._

_My hands are at your throat,_

_And I think I hate you._

_But still we'll say, "remember when"_

_Just like we always do._

_Just like we always do._

_._

_Until the day I die, _

_[Until the day I die]_

_I'll spill my heart for you._

_Until the day I die,_

_[Until the day I die]_

_I'll spill my heart for you._

_._

_Yeah I'd spill my heart!!!_

_Yeah I'd spill my heart for you!!!_

_._

_My hands are at your throat,_

_And I think I hate you._

_We made the same mistakes,_

_Mistakes like friends do._

_._

_My hands are at your throat,_

_And I think I hate you,_

_We made the same mistakes._

_[Made the same mistakes]_

_._

_Until the day I die,_

_I'll spill my heart for you, for you._

_._

_Until the day I die,_

_[Until the day I die]_

_I'll spill my heart for you, for you._

_Until the day I die,_

_[Until the day I die]_

_I'll spill my heart for you._

_Until the day I die,_

_[Until the day I die]_

_Until the day I die!!!_

_._

 As the two travelers rode Epona out of the ranch, Link seemed somewhat paranoid, and kept looking over his shoulders. 

"What are you afraid of now?" Navi said, the innate sensation to laugh coming back to her.

"N-Nothing!" Link said with a start.

"Good," Navi said with an evil grin, "because it wouldn't do you good to be afraid seeing as you have the Triforce of Courage, even if Saria were to suddenly come and attack you, then you wouldn't be afraid right?"

Link gave her the look she was hoping for, and she laughed at him the entire way to Kakariko.

.

.

The climb up the foothills had suddenly become extremely treacherous. Giant boulders spewed from the volcano's belly and rolled down the mountainside into the narrow ravines. Fortunately, harder rocks had also fallen giving Link something to hide behind while the huge rolling boulders bounced harmlessly off them. Tektites still lurked in the ravines too, but thanks to the Master Sword, they were no longer a threat.

Link reached the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern and decided to rest behind a rock. 

_This place is CRAZY! _He thought.

_Yeah, _Navi agreed, _but then think about the mountaintop._

Link gazed up at the ring of fire storming around the top of the mountain. __

"I really hope Darunia is ok up there." He said aloud.

"Darunia is a brave and headstrong Goron, but he definitely isn't stupid. He's probably trying to formulate a plan with his people to try and quell the evil coming from the volcano." Navi tried to reassure him.

Just then, Link allowed his head to droop for a quick nap when he suddenly spotted a bean plant that he planted in his childhood. Curious, he stood up and walked over to it. 

Navi flew out of his hat and inspected the enchanted plant. 

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked Link, "Let's see where it goes!"

Link nervously stepped onto the plant. He knew that it was going to fly pretty high, and it was a long way down the mountain from where he was. 

The bean plant sprang to life as soon as he was on, and no sooner than two seconds later, Navi was screaming for him to jump off. He obeyed frantically and rolled onto the cropping over the cavern entrance.

"What? What is it?" He said looking around for falling rocks.

Navi laughed, "I really scared you didn't I?"

Link glared at her.

"Eh heh heh, no, I got you off so you could grab _that_." She said pointing behind Link.

Link turned around to face a Piece of Heart. He smiled and thanked his partner then started to walk over to it.__

"Link! Look--!" Navi screamed.

"What is there another one?" Link said eagerly, turning around to look for another heart piece. He found a falling boulder instead.

Had Navi been concerned for her partner's well being, she probably would've stopped laughing after about a minute or so, but it turned out to be that her sense of humor was greater.

.

.

The ride up the mountain on the bean plant was indeed as treacherous as Link had thought. The sheer speed of the flying plant did not coincide with the sheer cliffs and outcroppings of the ravines, and many times Link had close calls with these deadly obstacles. Riding that plant, Link felt the same sensation that a surfer feels when riding a tsunami—thrilled, terrified, and utterly helpless.

The plant neared the entrance to Goron City, then began to climb rapidly for fifteen or twenty feet, and then began to descend. 

Knowing that was his queue, Link jumped off and rolled onto the lava plain of the mountain. 

"Are we going to the city first?" Navi asked.

"No," Link replied, "I want to see this 'Almighty Biggoron'."

Link then started to run as fast as he could across the long-since cooled lava flow. As soon as he got ten yards closer to the mountain, it instantly erupted and began spewing deadly rocks enveloped in fire. 

Link began to zigzag as the first rocks hit the ground. He had advanced another twenty yards in this way when he suddenly noticed a shadow growing under him. He looked up at the red sky to see a large rock closing in on him. He sped up to try and miss the rock but the shadow stayed under him!

Frantic, he rolled forward a split-second before the massive rock hit the spot he had just vacated, and exploded on the lava flow. 

Ten yards later the eruption stopped and Link was able to talk to his partner. 

"It's like they're _homing_ in on me!" He shouted.

"Ever feel like you're not wanted?" Navi asked, "They _are _homing in on you Link. Whatever evil that resides in the volcano obviously doesn't want you here."

Link grumbled then kept running towards the rock ladder that would bring him to the crater of the volcano. He was almost there, when another small eruption occurred. 

Again, Link kept his pattern of watching the shadows and zigzagging until he was safely at the edge of the wall, well inside the arc of any great balls of fire. There, he waited for the end of the eruption.

After the violent storm had ended and the red sky cleared, he began his climb up the cliff to the crater.

The Gorons had carved out handholds large enough to pass as steps. Even still, the climb was treacherous as there were numerous quantities of small rocks and gravel that hindered Link's grip. Despite all this however, Link reached the top of the mountain. 

He heaved a great sigh of exhaustion and triumph, and then started to walk to the entrance of the crater.

.

.

Biggoron woke up from his slumber. He stretched and let out a yawn that shook the very base of the mountain. He rubbed his sore eyes and looked around. He wondered why he had woken so suddenly; he knew he wasn't a light sleeper. In his dreams he thought he felt a strong and fearsome presence coming near, but when he woke up he only saw an eruption. 

Confused, he shrugged to himself and was about to drop into another slumber when suddenly he felt the presence again. This time however, he was able to feel it consciously. 

Biggoron trembled as the presence came closer. It was indeed very strong and cold. For a second he thought Ganondorf had once again come to thrust him into the fires of Volvagia's new lair. Ganondorf had failed to harm Biggoron before, and had given up. In his attempt to escape unscathed, Ganondorf summoned forth a massive eruption that nearly blinded the giant. Now, it seemed Ganondorf had come back to finish what he started. 

Immediately he stood up with his massive hammer, ready to fight, but again he couldn't see a blasted thing. 

"Who goesss therrrre?" He bellowed.

"Link of Kokiri Forest!" Returned a voice.

Biggoron stopped and looked down to where he could see a faint light rotating around a figure clad in green.

"You're not Ganondorrrf…" The giant said aloud, the figure did not sound like the Dark King; and Ganon surely did not dress himself in the colors of the forest. 

Biggoron again tried to define the presence he felt before. He felt the same anger and coldness he did before but now he sensed a somewhat _warm _and soothing aura originating from the very core of the figure. He smiled. The presence he felt was that of a pure heart. Besides, the spirit wasn't _nearly_ as strong as Ganondorf's.

"What are you doingggg herrre? Biggoron asked.

"I am here to request your service." Link replied pulling out the helm and shards of the Biggoron Sword. 

Biggoron squinted and tried his best to see the blade. 

"Yessss, this is definitely my worrrrk." He said taking the pieces in his massive hand, "but I'm afrrraid I can't help you."

Link frowned in dismay, "Why not? You are the legendary blacksmith are you not?"

"I am, but due to that errruption the other day, my eyes are irrrritated. I can't worrrk like that." The giant explained.

Link was eager to get the sword forged again, "Is there anything that I can do to help?"

Biggoron paused a minute then proceeded to get something in the side of the mountain. He returned a moment later with a document enclosed in a leather packet. He dropped it into Link's waiting arms.

Link lifted the flap and withdrew a prescription for eye drops.

"You have to take that to Kinggggg Zora. They have my eye drrrops therrre." Biggoron explained.

Link closed the envelope and put it in his item sack.

"Alright then, I'll be back here as soon as I can." Link said running to the cliff.

"Thannnnk you." Biggoron said once, then proceeded to rub his eyes.

His cries of pain and annoyance were heard by Link the entire way down the mountain.

.

.

.

Link uselessly struck his sword against the hard red ice that entrapped King Zora.

"Well this is just wonderful!" Link said exasperatedly, "What are we supposed to do now?"

Navi looked at the ice a little more closely.

"It's magic," she said, "I think this can be melted with Blue Fire."

"Where do we get that?" Link asked.

"I think I saw some in Kakariko Village."

Link fell off the platform.

"There's no way we're going back when we came all the way here! Isn't there another way?"

Navi sat down on the edge of the platform and thought for a long while. 

"I think that I heard rumors of a place in the fountain where it flowed like a natural spring." She said mentioning behind her.

Link sighed, "Alright then…let's go."

"Woah! Wait a sec!" Navi stopped him, "It's cold out there…the freezing aura of the fountain could kill you in a matter of moments!"

Link lowered his brows and looked at his partner, "And you honestly think that's going to stop me?"

Navi swallowed, "Well…no." 

Defeated, she flew up into the protection of his hat and prepared to brave the freezing temperatures of the fountain.

.

All in all, the run through the ice cavern had been very productive, Navi couldn't argue with that. They had received two Heart Pieces, the Blue Fire, and the Iron Boots. However, Link's conversation with Sheik had sent them both through the loop.

.

Link cast down the White Wolfos with a devastating blow to its spine. He straightened up and watched the monster burn in its own fire, then wiped the hot blood off his sword. He walked over to where a chest appeared and opened it up to find the legendary Iron Boots. With a lot of effort he pulled them out and tried to pack them into his item sack. To his horror though, they disappeared as soon as they entered.

Confused, he turned to Navi for an explanation.

"Don't worry Link," she said, "they're enchanted to do that so you don't have to lug them around. All you have to do is summon them when you need them. And to do that, all you have to do is think you are, or are not wearing them."

"Quite a useful item wouldn't you say?" Sheik asked. 

Link spun around and gave Navi the go-ahead. They had worked out a plan together to find out who the man behind the mask was.

Navi flew over to Sheik and started circling him leisurely.

"Now what are you doing here?" Link said through his teeth, he would never forgive Sheik for what happened to him and Saria.

"I'm shocked Link," Sheik said mockingly, "Seemed to me like you wanted more answers to your problems, and now you look like you want nothing to do with me."

Link groaned, "Look, just tell me what happened to all the Zoras. And tell me where Ruto is, I need to talk with her." 

The light in Sheik's red eyes seemed to dim slightly, and he mentioned around him. 

"Here they are Link…some of them any way. They are all trapped under the thick sheet of ice that has covered Zora's domain and this cavern. I was able to rescue the princess from under the ice however, and she now resides in the Water Temple, trying to figure out a way to rid to temple of the evil that infested it, and secure Zora's Domain back to its original state." 

"And she needs my help right?" Link said needlessly.

"Of course! You really don't expect someone as frail as a Zora Princess could possibly take down the dungeon lord of a temple do you?" Sheik replied.

"Frail?" Link asked stiffly. 

"Indeed." Sheik said, "And if I were you, I would watch out for her Link. She's mad you weren't there when all this happened."

Link rolled his eyes and stretched his arms up so his hands rested behind his head, "I could've guessed that."

"She doesn't like to wait either."

A small bead of sweat rolled down Link's temple, despite the freezing cold, and he peered at Sheik with one eye.

Sheik chuckled, "And so they say…" he said quietly.

Link lowered his arms and faced Sheik directly.

"Naïve ideas become noble ambition." Sheik said.

Link looked down into the reflection of the ice and saw a young boy clad in green peering through a window, a beautiful young girl was beside him, also trying to get a look. The girl whispered in the boy's ear and together they began to laugh. 

_Zelda thought it was a good idea…_

"Young love becomes deep and full-fledged affection."

Link then saw another little girl with fiery red hair clad in work clothes walking alone, carrying a pail of milk. She passed a tree, and she emerged a full-grown woman walking down a red carpet in a white gown and carrying a bouquet of white roses. Link did not see the groom at the end of the isle. 

_Malon could never understand…_

"As time goes on the water's image reflects our growth."

Then Link saw the young boy again. Right there in the ice's reflection staring back at him. Slowly, his friends started to appear behind him. First Saria walked up and put her hands on his shoulder. Kurta, Marik, and Liao, the Know-It-All brothers, came and stood behind him at what looked like a parade-rest. Then came Arisa, who stood by Saria's side; Mido, who remained behind the Know-It-All's, and gradually many Kokiri came around him. Then finally, Navi floated in and rested on the boy's shoulder. They all stared back at the man watching them through the ice. 

_I want to go back…_

Link knelt down to the ice to grab and embrace his childhood, but only felt the cold bite of the ice. Before his eyes, his friends disappeared and the boy grew into the man he was. Link knew he was now just looking at his reflection and stood back up. He looked at Sheik through watery eyes.

"This song is dedicated to the growth we made over time…listen closely to the Serenade of Water."

As the two played, their chorus reverberated through the ice and walls around them. The helixes, rows, and columns of the ice sparkled and glittered as the noted rippled through them. When the song finished, the many crystals around them still shined with a fantastic and mundane radiance.

Link and Sheik stared at each other for a while then finally Sheik stepped back to make his disappearing act.

"Link, we'll see each other soon."

Link sprang forward, "Hold it!" He said running towards Sheik.

He wasn't fast enough though, as Sheik threw down a Deku Nut and slipped away once again.

.

As the two headed back to Zora's Domain, Link tried to get Navi talking.

"So?" He asked, "Just who is he?"

Navi was silent for a long time, "I- I don't know." She stammered.

Link raised an eyebrow, "What was the road block?"

"I couldn't dig into his mind! It was just like…" Navi trailed off.

"Just like what?" Link asked.

"Just like trying to pry into the mind of Princess Zelda." 

.

.

.

.

~~~~~~~~~~~

.

Eh-heh-heh…I kind of like this one. Sorry I didn't get this one up sooner, I was on vacation. Ok now, the song in the middle is Until the Day I Die, by Story of the Year. It kind of fit the Malink thing…and it kind of didn't…I'll let you decide. I'm sorry my chapters are coming slow in terms of game progress, but I like adding in all the little in-between stories. Oh! And quick raise of hands, who thinks Ocarina of Time would make the coolest movie? And who also thinks that they're gonna drag Orlando Bloom into being a pretty-boy elf again? 

Please R&R! ^-^

.

**Anthony Bault: **Yeah, I mean you have to go the Pharmacy and fill out the prescription and then you have to go and file for medical insurance, and for a giant, lemme tell you, that's not easy!

**Link of Kokiri forest: **Yup, adjectives are probably one of the most important things when adding drama to a story…and there's nothing like adding really big words to educate your audience. Eh-heh….^-^

Thanks again! 


	7. Splash!

Um slight question...can't we um…just say a disclaimer now that covers the rest of the story? 

I mean its just really annoying don't you think?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.

.

"Well now! Eye drops for Biggorron eh?" King Zora said, "Well let me see here…"

The robust Zora looked over the prescription form meticulously.

"Well you might say that we have them…but you might say we don't as well. We definitely have the ingredients…"

The King thought for a long while and Link waited for him patiently. 

 "You freed the Shopkeeper correct?"

Link nodded.

"Alright then, here, take this to him and he'll give you an eyeball frog. You then will have to hurry to the Laboratory in Lake Hylia, the biologist is a friend of mine. He will make the eye drops for you. You must hurry though, at outside temperatures, the frog will be sure to spoil quickly."

Link nodded again, "Is there anything else I can do for you my lord?" 

The king paused and stared at Link, "Yes actually…I was wondering where my daughter is. I hate to give you the task of finding her, but she disappeared when my domain froze over and I've become very worried for her."

Link smiled inwardly, "I believe that she has gone to the Water Temple to try and solve your domain's problem…"

King Zora stared at Link suspiciously.

"That's all I know," Link added quickly.

"Hm…I see, so she has gone to the Temple…I do hope she's alright," the king then pulled out a tunic and tossed it down to Link where it landed on his face. 

"That's a Zora tunic," the king said, "It is the least I can offer you for freeing me from the ice."

Link rapidly pulled the tunic of his face and gazed at it for a moment. It was crafted just as perfectly as his Kokiri Tunic and was of the same design. The only difference was that its color was a deep navy blue. 

"It's enchanted to allow you to breath under water so you won't choke, resist the pain of depth's pressures, and it will also keep you warm in water's freezing temperatures," The King explained.

Link looked skeptically at the blue tunic but quickly pulled off his Kokiri Tunic and replaced it with his new one.

"Many 'thanks my lord." Link said with a gesture of obeisance.

The King waved it off, "There are no thanks necessary." He said, "Just make sure it comes to good use and good luck with the eye drops." 

Link dismissed himself from the stand then went down to the shop to collect the eyeball frog. As soon as he stepped in he was given a grand "Welcome!" from the shopkeeper.

"What can I do for you Master Link?" He asked.

Link pulled out the prescription, "I need an eyeball frog for eye drops."

The shopkeeper took the prescription and identified his lord's signature, "Well your in luck!" He went into the back of the shop and talked as he did so. "This is the only one we have! The frog was preserved by the ice in the domain so it kept for seven years, _and _the little guy just thawed out!" The shopkeeper returned with the frog wrapped in wax paper. 

Link took it and looked at the poor beast. It was dead, of course, but its eyes were still wide open and it almost smiled back at Link with its huge red and convex mouth. Its eyes were huge and were a pale blue and its skin was a perfect green. 

After looking at it, Link wrapped it back up and packed it away in his item sack. 

"That won't keep long after you leave the domain," The shopkeeper warned.

"How long do you think I'd have?" Link asked.

"I'd say no less than three hours," Came the reply.

Link gaped at the shopkeeper.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get going!" The shopkeeper said with a definite look of amusement.

Instantly, Link bolted out the doorway and headed for the exit of the domain. 

"Link! Be careful! Your going to—" Navi tried to say.

Link slid off the platform and landed face-first on the frozen pool. 

"Trust a blonde for your everyday stupidity…" Navi cursed her partner's ill attention span and flew down to help him to his feet. 

.

.

.

Link jumped off Epona who collapsed instantly afterward in her fatigue. He ran over to the door of the Laboratory and threw it open. Inside, the biologist was collecting water samples from the tank, and fell in with a loud splash when Link burst through the door.

"Wahhhhh!" The biologist screamed as he broke through the surface and clambered to the edge of the tank. He looked around to see who had the temerity to scare an old man with a weak heart. 

"A simple knock would suffice you mangy lout!" The biologist screeched waving a wet fist at Link.

"Um…sorry," Link said sheepishly and then proceeded to help the old man out of the water tank. 

"No respect I say! Nothing!" The old man was still ranting by the time Link pulled out the eyeball frog.

The geezer's face suddenly lit up when he saw it, "Oh my! An eyeball frog! What a wonderful treat!"

Link's face twisted up in confusion, "What? Um sir? That's—"

"Send my thanks to King Zora. I haven't had any gourmet foods in such a long time!"

Upon hearing the doctor's intentions Link tried to intervene, "Sir! That's not for—"

"Oh ho tonight, I will dine on fried frog eyes!" The biologist licked his lips.

"Sir!!!" Link nearly shouted.

"Don't you talk to me like that young man, your little bribe was working up until now!" The man turned around with the frog and took out a frying pan from under his desk, "Bah! Insubordinate whelps! No respect for their elders nowadays!"

"Sir! That frog isn't supposed to be eaten!" Link cried desperately.

The old man dropped the pan, "Eh? Then what's it for?"

Link scrambled to get the prescription in his item sack. When he held it out, the old man's giddy countenance instantly turned somber and disappointed. 

"Eye drops? Oh what a pity! I thought I could finally dine on the finest food in Hyrule tonight. Why didn't you say something?"

Link grimaced, and he started to hear stifled giggles emitting from inside his hat.

"Well alright then! Comeback in two hours and I'll have the eye drops ready," The biologist said. 

Link lumbered out the door and heaved a sigh of relief. Navi came out of his hat with a smirk on her face.

"You need to learn some respect for you elders Link," She grinned.

Link didn't respond but instead just gave her a dirty look and surveyed the lake. He knew it had changed, but he didn't have the time to actually get a good look. 

Link noticed that the water level of the lake had decreased dramatically and the slopes that had formerly been submerged in water were now exposed and barren. The lake was drying up obviously, now that Zora's fountain no longer functioned normally. Link also noticed a heavy population of Tektite monsters in the dried bowl, which meant that the temple was obviously emitting some dark aura.

Suddenly Link was aware of a strangled wail. He looked around from his vantage point and found Epona doing something remarkably similar to crying.

Immediately he ran down to her to see if she was all right. When he reached her, she was laying on her side near the dried brim of the lake with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.

"She's thirsty!" Navi said needlessly.

Link instantly bolted down the bowl towards the water. 

_Poor Epona, _Navi said to him telepathically, _she was thirsty from the ride and she probably went to the lake's edge thinking she could get a drink…_

_But she found the lake almost dried and too steep of a decent to get to water. _Link finished for her. 

Slowly, the sky began to cloud as he came nearer and nearer to the water's edge, then it began to rain, bolts of lightning scarred the sky and the ensuing thunder shook the ground. Link's eyes flared, as he knew the demon inside the temple was hard at work. 

He reached the water's edge after cutting through several Tektites that decided to creep up on him. Then Link was put in a real conundrum, he had nothing to carry the water in. He thought his shield might suffice, but thought again when he noticed it shallow features. It was Navi who provided the answer.

"Link…Take off your hat." She said flatly.

Link gave her an awkward glance.

"Do it!" She urged him.

Reluctantly, he took off his long hat and let his hair spill out. Navi started to laugh but stopped when Link gave her a "shut-up-before-you-die" look. 

Link then knelt down and scooped up some water in his hat then looked at it with a confused expression on his face. 

"What is it?" Navi asked.

"My hat…it's…blue," He said haltingly as he sprinted up the hill. The skies began to clear and the rain stopped as he retreated.

"You can't seriously mean you didn't notice until now…" Navi said in disbelief

Link looked at her, unsure about how to reply to her.

"For the love of Din!" Navi exclaimed, you mean that you didn't hear King Zora say the tunic was enchanted?"

Link gave her the same look.

Navi sighed, "It changes to the color of the tunic that determines the owner's duty." 

"And in layman's terms that means…"

"It matches the Zora tunic because the tunic is meant to go under water, thus the hat is endowed with the same properties. Ether that, or whoever enchanted the tunic had a sense of style."

Link rolled his eyes and ran up to where Epona had been able to sit herself up a little bit. He opened his hat and watched her drink it up in a single gulp. 

"Sorry girl," Link said stroking her mane, "I guess I've been pushing you a little hard haven't I?"

Epona snorted loudly and nuzzled Link as a sign of mild forgiveness. No matter how hard she tried, Epona couldn't get mad at her master.

Link cautiously helped his steed to her feet and led her slowly to the laboratory, where he then put her down in the shade by the bean plant. 

The biologist was collecting purified water from the tank when Link burst through the door and made him fall in again. 

"Wahhhh! Again!" The biologist said as he broke through the surface and clambered to the edge of the pool.

"Oh…uh…sorr—" Link started.

"That's twice young man!" The biologist shouted as the water started evaporating of his head. Now are you going to tell me why you disturbed my work and nearly gave me a heart-attack?!"

"I said I was sorr—"

"It's becoming monotonous!" 

"I said—"

"You haven't even apologized yet!"

"SORRY!" Link nearly blew the old man over.

More stifled giggling emitted from Link's hat.

"No need to shout. I can hear perfectly you know," The biologist said with unscrupulous honesty.

A twitch-mark appeared on the side of Link's head, "May I borrow a bucket and some of your water?" He said through smiling teeth.

"Ah! And may I ask what it is for?" The biologist asked.

"My horse is exhausted from our journey," Link explained.

"Oh! Well then in that case of course! There, over there," The biologist said pointing to an aluminum trough, "I used to use that when combining large quantities of potions and letting them mature, I have no need for it anymore."

Link thanked the old man and easily carried the light trough outside to where Epona was resting, then made several trips inside to fill it with water. 

After Epona quenched her thirst and Link had played her song to lull her to sleep, Link stood up and stepped on to the bean plant nearby. It took him up above the house and levitated there for a second. Following Navi's orders, he jumped of and rolled onto the roof. Then the bean plant suddenly shot off in the direction of the fishing pond, and followed the rim of the lake. Link took his eyes off it and walked over to the tall ladder. 

The ladder that led to the uppermost platform was at least forty feet tall; nonetheless, Link began his ascent to the heart-piece. 

Halfway up the ladder Navi suddenly spotted something.

"Hey Link! Look!" She said pointing behind her.

"What is it?" Link asked squinting in the sun. 

"I don't know! The sun is blinding me!" Navi replied.

Link allowed himself a hand off the ladder to block the sun. He saw a black bird descending from the sky to attack him. Frantically, he tried to get his hands on the ladder so he could climb down. 

Link cursed his curiosity as the bird's talons dug into his shoulder and caused him to fall down to the roof. 

Inside and below, the biologist was tediously adding the right amounts of purified water to his potion near the water tank when a sudden and loud 'thud' caused him to fall in again.

_They say curiosity killed the cat…_Link thought, as he lay sprawled out on the roof. Sorely, he got to his feet and slew the menacing bird with his bow, as well as other birds that threatened his accent to longer life. 

Slowly, he began the climb back up to the platform that held the Heart-Piece, and made it safely. 

Once back down on the ground Link stepped on the bean plant once more, but this time he let it take him all the way to the fishing pond on the north-western side of the lake.

.

.

.

"Woah! Dude! You're that little fairy kid from seven years ago!" The fisherman exclaimed.

"You recognize me too huh?" Link asked.

"Unfortunately, it's impossible for me to forget," the fisherman said lowering his head.

"How so?"

"Business is really bad," the man explained, "You've been the only Hylean client I've had in seven years! With the exception of a few Zoras that popped in every now and then, and even still they only paid in more fish. And on top of that, my hair…but um, just forget I said that."

"How have you gone on living then?" Link asked cocking his head.

The color in the man's face drained a little bit, "Fish…" he replied flatly. 

Link smiled ruefully for the fisherman, "So…do you think I can fish for awhile?" he asked.

The man behind the counter smiled and handed him a fishing pole, "Of course," he said, "Just bring your fish to me when you're done and we'll weigh it in."

Link paid the shopkeeper twenty rupees then walked over to where the little stream of water filled the pond.  He looked at Navi expectantly.

"What?" She asked nervously.

Link mentioned to the pond with his eyes, "Go," he said.

"What?"

"Go…the biggest fish…go find it." 

"W-why?" Navi asked unnecessarily.

"Hey," Link said sympathetically, "can you help it if you look like a bug on the surface of the water?"

Navi's light dimmed considerably and she began to look nervously in between the water and Link, praying to see signs of second thoughts. 

When she found none, she lowered her head and flew very idly to the center of the pond where she perched on the log. She looked back at Link and heard him muttering something of "revenge" and "waited seven years for this." He was smiling viciously and waved happily as she looked at him in sheer terror.

_Yeah…that's right Link, just smile…I'll get you back for this, cheater_!Navi thought to herself.

_That is _if_ you live through this, _Link thought with satisfaction.

A drop of sweat ran down Navi's head, she had temporarily forgotten she was telepathically connected with her partner. Reluctantly, she started to look for the biggest fish. 

There were many small fish around the lilies and water grass bordering the rim of the pond, but Navi sensed that it would take something _huge_ to coax the fisherman into giving away anything valuable. 

Again, there were two or three bigger fish loitering around the poles of the rotted fishing bench, arranged in such a way that made it look like they were conversing.

That left one fish out of the picture. Navi gulped audibly and slowly descended to the surface to look under the giant log. 

The biggest fish wasn't there, but he _was _mingling with a bunch of young fish in the center of the pond. He spotted Navi, and turned toward her. Navi gave a small shriek of terror and flew back into Link's hat at breakneck speed. The big fish obviously recognized her, and he now seemed compelled to wait for her at his usual spot. He was bigger and smarter now too, which made him all the more intimidating to Navi.

"So, which one is it?" Link asked.

" Fish…is…the…under...log…" came the distorted reply.

"Ok…let's try that again, but this time try to get the words in order."

Navi swallowed and calmed herself down.

"Under the log," she said, "his usual spot I guess. If he breaks free he'll go back to the center of the pond."

Link smiled and cast the line to the area just in front of the log, "Huh," he said, "I wonder how big that little sucker got."

.

After thirty minutes of trials and errors, Link finally hooked the lunker for the last time. Many times he was simply too strong for the line and broke free. Other times, he proved to be smarter than most marine life and turned his attention to the young fishes at the center of the pond. It only took Navi to act as "the bait" and coax him into range again. Landing the enormous fish took a grand total of seven minutes. Seven agonizing minutes of which, Link was pushed to the limits of his strength and at the same time, his dexterity and flexibility for the line. But as every story has and ending, and as every legend is toppled by another, Link landed the twenty-pound fish.

He brought the fish over to the fisherman and set the fish on the counter with an audible "thud." 

The fisherman looked up and stared at the huge fish, "I'll be damned," he said, "You landed the pride of the pond!"

"Is that's what it's called?"

"I-uh, suppose you'll be wanting to take this with you?" The fisherman asked weakly. 

"And what am I going to do with it?" Link asked nonchalantly.

The fisherman paused and he picked his head up, "I've offered a special deal for some time," he explained, "If you catch a fish over ten pounds you can take it home with you for only twenty extra rupees…I also have a prize for the one who could catch a fish over sixteen pounds…seems you've done it again fairy boy."

Link winced hearing his common nickname, "I wont take the fish, I think he deserves to live the rest of his life."

The fisherman stopped in mid-motion from pulling out kitchen utensils and quickly replaced them before Link saw. 

"I will take this prize you have for me though," Link said.

The fisherman gave a heartless laugh, "Yeah sure, why not?" He reached under the counter and pulled out an embroidered case. The fisherman then lifted the cover and removed a gold scale and handed it to Link. 

"This is one of the late Gold Zora's scales," the fisherman said, "He was prince of the Zora's a decade ago but died in a duel with the Dark King."

Link raised an eyebrow, eager for more information, "Prince of the Zora's? He was Ruto's brother?"

"Indeed. They say a gold Zora is naturally enchanted from the time of birth. Many tend to develop skills for music, but Prince Seito was well learned in fighting and battle tactics in the water…which ultimately led to his doom."

Link nodded and stared at the scale. As he held it in his hand, a bubble or some sort of reflective gelatin substance seemed to envelope it. He tried to touch the substance, but it was as diaphanous as the very air around him.

"What's so great about it anyway?"

The fisherman's chest swelled in pride, "Prince Seito gave it to me himself. It was on accident really but I hooked his wrist while fishing in the lake…I helped him get free and tended to his wounds. We became friends after that."

"Why are you just giving away your personal possession then?" Navi asked.

Like all, the fisherman stared at Navi before responding, "Because," he said firmly, "Seito, my good friend is dead; and I have come to no use with that thing. I tried my best to help in the resistance, and that scale was my only real weapon; however, Ganondorf doesn't fight in water. Plus, seeing as how my business is failing, I wanted to give it away to someone who could really pay Ganondorf back and put it to good use. That way I could dry up with the lake and have no regrets."

Link's eyes flared, "And what makes you think I will even get close to Ganondorf?"

The fisherman smirked, "Heh! One doesn't carry the mark of a Hylian Knight on his back for nothing," he said pointing to Link's shield and sword. 

Link frowned, "So are you going to answer my question? What does this do?" He said waving the scale.

The fisherman smiled, "That will allow you to dive about eight meters without having to surface again."

Link grimaced in dismay. He knew he already had two items that would more than compensate for the scale. The fisherman didn't seem to notice though. 

"I wish you luck fairy boy." The fisherman said taking the giant fish back to the pond.

After that, there was nothing more Link could do. He tied the scale to the chain holding the Forest medallion and left the fishing pond for the last time. 

.

.

.

"Hey old man!" Link said as he walked through the door.

The biologist was at the other end of the lab and was gathering more water samples when Link came in. Upon hearing his voice, the old man doubled up. His neck disappeared, and turned his head to Link with narrowed eyes and a jutting lower lip. He didn't fall in this time…amazingly…instead he had made himself a safety line by tying a rope to the wall and wrapping it around his waist. 

Suddenly Link smelled something cooking and looked frantically at the iron stove of the lab. He was relieved, then sickened by finding frog legs splattering in the frying pan. He expelled his nervous breath and turned his attention back to the biologist.

Seeing as Link did nothing wrong, the biologist frowned, "You're lucky I'm a man of ingenuity boy," he tapped the rope around his waist, "Thanks to your little run-in's, I prepare for the worst."

Link smirked as the rope unraveled itself and caused its owner to fall in the tank with a satisfying "splash."

"I meant to do that…" the biologist muttered as he clambered to the edge of the pool. 

"Right…" Link muttered just as quietly, "At least you know how to swim well for someone your age."

The biologist gave Link an indignant look that quickly faded away. He laughed, "Ho ho! That is true young man…I used to be a _real _swimmer in my prime…well diver anyway."

"A diver?"

"Yes, yes…I used to be able to dive to the gate of the Zora's Temple! Now I am only confined to this tank in which I dive regularly to keep my strength."

"You can dive to the bottom of this tank?" Link asked incredulously.

"Ah!" The biologist said in delight. He removed his thick overcoat and then gracefully dived into the tank. Link and Navi watched in stupor as the old man kept swimming and touched the bottom of the tank. 

_Man that's creepy…_Navi and Link thought in unison.

The biologist broke the surface, climbed out and put his overcoat back on. He laughed again.

"Ha! If you can do that, I'll give you something ten times better than those eyedrops!" He said.

Link grinned and walked over to the edge of the tank, "Alright then." As he was about to jump in the biologist interrupted him. 

"Ah-ah-ah," He said waving a finger, "take off that tunic first."

If Link showed the faintest sign of defiance, it faded quickly and he took off the tunic then dived in. He swam as he would on the surface of the water, but straight down. With the aid of the gold scale, he was able to reach the bottom easily.   
As he broke the surface of the water and climbed out of the pool he suddenly became aware of the old man who was gaping at him with his mouth wide open.

"Young man," he said, "you just touched the bottom of the tank there."

Link wrung his hair out and peered at the biologist sidelong, "Yeah? What of it?"

"That's amazing! Seventy years in this realm and I have known no Hylian to do that!"

_Cheater…_Navi said to Link silently.

The biologist went on, "Such a great feat! You must be rewarded!"

Link raised an eyebrow as the man went to an old chest, "Rewarded for touching—"

Link stopped when he saw a heart-piece being withdrawn from the trunk.

_Well that works I guess, _Link thought, _but why do people just put them away?_

_Beats me…_Navi returned, equally amused with the biologist.

"Here young man," the biologist said tossing the heart-piece to Link, "I suspect you'll be needing that more than I will." The biologist then bustled over to the table where the eye drops were ready. Link eagerly walked over to the table and received the eye drops. 

"I must warn you young man, I've been short of preservatives ever since the lake started drying up…" The biologist faded off.

Link held up the star-shaped vile away from his body and peered though it, "How long will it last?" Link asked nonchalantly, this had happened one too many times. 

"I can't be for certain, but at this temperature I'd say you'd have about four hours."

A bead of sweat ran down Link's temple and he peered at the old man out of the corner of his eye, "You must be joking…" Link said.

The biologist chuckled, "You're young and strong, you can do it. Best of luck to you young man." With that, he turned around and tended to the burning frog legs.

Link ran outside to where Epona was waiting for him. This time however, he didn't rush to jump on her saddle and ride off; instead, he stroked her long forehead.

"This is the last time I will ask such a ride from you girl," Link said, "Should I have to do it again, I will run myself."

Epona snorted in acceptance and bolted off as soon as he was on her back.

As they exited the lake area and entered Hyrule Field, Navi spoke to Link.

"And so what are you today Link?" She asked.

"Today?" He laughed, "Today I am a postman."

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.

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.

There's really nothing special here, just another long in-betweener. The old oaf is of course put in for comic relief if you're into all that fancy terminology. Speaking of which, a friend of mine said she didn't understand any of the fancy words I like to put in. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I'm guessing many of you don't know either. What do I have to say for myself? Go get a dictionary! If there's a word you don't understand, look it up! You never know what you might learn. ^-^ 

.

**Arnath Nightblade: **uh yeah…about that. It was two hours after I posted when I was playing Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and was choosing the "hilt" of my lightsaber…funny how something like that just jumps at you lol. A helm mostly refers to a helmet but can also mean the hilt, guard and crest of a broad sword, but you're right, hilt is the right word. As for grammar, well…it's not exactly my foray (said the writer).

**Anthony Bault: **I've found I really enjoy writing this fic, but I've also found that I've almost completely abandoned my other fics…oh well lol.

**Greki: **I know how that is…it really sucks lol. One thing though…you don't have to be sorry for not reading my fic lol. It's merely a book that's opened whenever. ^-^

**JIJ: **Yes…indeed the reunion of the two will be…interesting lol.

**titianadragon: **Eh heh heh…live for the drama. It's contradictory though…I happen to be one of the dullest people you could meet.

**Lizai: **Well, I was just thinking…he would most likely be a leading candidate, whether any of us wants to admit it lol. Even still, a Zelda Movie would be the best thing since beef jerky. ^-^

Thanks Again! Keep the reviews coming! ^-^


	8. Renewed Shall Be the Blade That Was Brok...

Can't do that one disclaimer for all thing,

It was worth a shot though…

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.

Biggoron roared with relief. The eye drops worked like magic (literally); the irritation was gone as soon as the single, tiny droplet of medication touched his eye.

"Wow! This works grrrreat! Let's see Gannnon get away nnnow!" He bellowed.

Link stood below him in nervous anticipation. Biggoron was starting to become erratic with his arms, flailing them about in his excitement.

"I can't wait to get worrrking again!"

Link smiled, "Well then, why wait?"

Biggoron looked down at him and smiled as well, "Yesss, I will waist no time. Take this and come back later. I will have yourrr sword ready."

Biggoron dropped a heavy stone tablet into Link's arms. The weight of the slab caused Link to fall to the ground, thoroughly knocking the wind out of him. After catching his breath, he noticed the large tablet was a claim check inscribed in Sheikan Runes.

"How long do you think it will take?" Link called up to Biggoron.

Biggoron arranged the shards and hilt in place then opened a dam of lava to spill onto the shards, "Three daysss," he said raising his massive hammer.

"Guess we'll have to wait it out," Navi said aloud.

Link pulled out his Ocarina, "Who says we have to wait?"

"No wait Link!" Navi said, "Don't play your Ocarina just yet."

Link looked at her sidelong and raised an eyebrow.

"Let's head down to the city and see what's going on first. You know…kill two birds with one stone," she explained.

Link nodded in agreement, "Yeah you're right," he said lowering his instrument, "I want to see how Darunia is getting along with all this evil in the mountain."

"Let's hope they have a plan," Navi said.

.

.

.

"So that was the plan huh?" Link asked dragging his hand down over his face.

The little Goron whimpered, "Yeah…he was going to lead all of our warriors to find the sacred hammer, but while my dad was out collecting bomb flowers and weapons from the cavern, Gannon came down from the mountain in a big fit and threw everyone but me, the shopkeeper, and Medigoron into the dungeons of the Fire Temple!"

Link looked down and sighed. _Why am I always one day late?_ He thought.

Goron Link went on, "When my dad came back he found everyone gone, and immediately ran off to the dungeon to look for the hammer and defeat Volvagia! I'm afraid Link, I'm afraid my dad cant…"

"What?" Link's eyes began to glow.

"I—I'm afraid he can't beat…"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Link said coldly, "What has the proud race of Gorons come to when it doubts its own leader?"

Little Goron Link paused, "You—You're right. I'm just scared for him…that's all. I guess I shouldn't be such a little wimp."

"It's only natural for one to be worried for a loved one, trust me, but you should never doubt you're father's abilities," Link said sympathetically.

The Goron looked up at Link and smiled, "Th—Thank you Link…Um…could I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Could you meet up with my dad at the temple? They said that you'd be an even better hero now that you're older! I know my dad's strength, but even _he_ has no chance of defeating Volvagia without some help!" Goron Link started crying again.

_Oh great, _Navi thought, _you better try to cheer him up Link, try talking to him._

Link made a bid for information on this new threat in the mountain.

"Just who is this Volvagia anyway?" Link asked.

To Link's relief, Goron Link stopped crying and looked up at him, "Volvagia is the great serpent dragon that once turned our entire realm into a burning wasteland! He always dwelled in the heart of the volcano where no Goron could reach him, and whenever he was hungry, he burrowed through the mountain into the caverns where the ancient Gorons lived and ate them all. We nearly became extinct!"

"So then what happened?"

"Well, my dad said that the Goron Hero went to the Sage of Fire for help. They say that the old Fire Sage was an extremely powerful sorcerer, and only he could stand up against the dragon. Then the tale says that the Sage of Fire created a weapon of incredible power and entrusted it to the Goron Hero!"

"Why didn't the Sage just go and destroy Volvagia himself?" Link asked.

"Because, the Sage of Fire was the one who created Volvagia in the first place! He didn't have the heart to destroy his own son. He created Volvagia to _protect _Hyrule from evil, but as you may know, Dragons are _very _unruly. The Sage knew Volvagia had fallen to the hands of evil and needed to be stopped. Plus, back then, Gorons were a very lowly and pathetic species. They weren't the proud race we are now! We needed a chance to prove ourselves to Hyrule that we were worthy to exist!"

"And so the Goron Hero destroyed Volvagia?"

"No, Volvagia was still to powerful for any being to overcome…he had become the very incarnate of the Sage!"

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"Why!" Marbana cried slamming the hammer on the ground, "Why won't he die! I came here to vanquish him! Not to tuck him in for a nap! Sage why have you forsaken my people?"

A figure, cloaked in fire, appeared and came towards Marbana. Its face could not be seen, but behind the hood it hissed like a doused blaze.

"You're mind is as dense as the rock that covers your back! I told you before, Volvagia has become stronger than even me!"

"Then how do you suppose we kill him? So long as my people walk on this realm, we can never let that monster be resurrected! We must destroy it now while it cannot wake!"

"It is no use you ill-minded fool, it will take a being with my power in the second fold to destroy my son!"

Marbana stared solemnly at the preserved remains of Volvagia stuck into the hard bedrock of the volcano, "So it is impossible?"

"Nay, it will be done."

Marbana turned his head towards the sage and cast it an unbelieving eye.

"The Sage of the Forest and the Sage of Light will lend their power to a new hero, one with the essence of time and _Courage_ as his strength," The sage hissed.

"And so then the power of this hero will have three times your strength?" Marbana asked returning his glance to Volvagia's remains.

"Indeed, and I can see that after my son has been cast from this realm then _my_ power will be added to the strength of the hero."

A pause ensued the sage's foresight. Marbana gripped the handle of the Megaton Hammer tightly.

"I shudder to imagine the creature powerful enough to resurrect this abomination…this hero, will he defeat this greater monster as well?" Marbana asked gravely.

"That is beyond my power to see, but your fear for this beast is apt."

Marbana turned directly to the sage, "Just how powerful are we talking here?"

"This beast's defeat will not require the power of the six sages"

Marbana breathed a small sigh of relief.

"It will require seven._ And_ the power of the Triforce, in which, the beast is not defeated, but instead imprisoned in a realm of its own darkness."

Marbana stood aghast, "You can't be serious! A seventh sage doesn't exist and no one save the Royal Family and the Sheikas know where the Triforce resides! You speak of a bleak future my sage! Since it's your duty to protect Hyrule then why haven't you made a move to prevent this future from happening?"

The sage was silent for a while then began to hiss slowly, and its burning cloak grew brighter.

"You weak-minded fool! I have already seen this future, and thus, without even a counsel, we Sages have destined this hero to be more powerful than could ever be imagined! This hero, along with the seventh Sage of _Time _will ally and banish the beast from this realm! You incompetent surat!" The Sage roared, "I am the Sage of Fire!" The sage grew to the size of a giant while its fire enveloped Marbana and the rest of the cavern, "All that I have told you is as I have foreseen! Do not think I have not prepared for the worst!"

Marbana cowered before the blazing figure and begged for mercy, "F-Forgive me Sage! We will build upon this day! A—a great temple in you're honor!"

The sage laughed and shrank back to normal.

"Thou hast no reason to punish your insolence. You have already deemed yourself and your people a race a safe place in Hyrule. But let the Fire Temple _guard_ the sleeping dragon, and let none see him, save he who has the power to finish the job you have started."

Marbana, the Goron Hero bowed deeply, "As you wish my liege."

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"That's the tale?" Link said pushing himself off the wall. "Sounds a little fishy," he lied.

"Don't say that! We know that this tale is true!" Goron Link protested.

Link raised an eyebrow but did not meet the defiant glance of the Goron child.

"I—We know this true because my father is a direct descendant of the hero!"

Link gave up his pointless disbelief, "Alright, but why me? Why not a Goron more apt to volcanic temperatures?"

"You see Link," the little Goron said, "My father has no doubts that you are the hero that will vanquish Volvagia."

_Indeed, _Navi smirked, _No hero is a hero without first slaying a dragon._

Link, on the contrary, was angry, "If I am the only one that can kill Volvagia then why did you're father just go to the temple to try and beat him?"

"My dad was going to try to rescue everyone from the dungeons of the temple!"

"Dungeons?"

"After Ganondorf woke Volvagia, he turned the entire dungeon into a place crawling with evil spirits! How he did it I don't know, but they say that _only_ the combined force of a black mage and sorcerer could ever do such a thing!"

"And for a single individual to create six dungeons…" Link trailed off. He learned from the Deku Tree that before the King united Hyrule, sorcerers and black mages were the most powerful individuals who wielded magic, and that they were commonly used in the wars.

"I can't imagine how powerful Ganondorf could possibly be!" The little Goron quivered.

The Triforce of Courage on Link's hand started to burn; he held it up to his face and clenched his fist, "Not strong enough," he said though his teeth.

The little Goron was able to bring his eyes away from Link's; for a coward he had recovered his composure much faster than any one before him. "L-Link," He said curling up.

Link broke his gaze from his fist to the small Goron, "What?"

"To survive the temperatures of the volcano, you're going to need a special tunic that the shopkeeper has." The little Goron jumped up in a little ball then initiated a Goron Pound. After a while the entrances to Darunia's Room and the Shop opened up. "Talk to the shopkeeper to get the tunic and then go into my dad's room. Do you remember the statue of the big Goron in there?"

Link nodded his head vaguely.

"Well, that's actually the secrete way to the Fire Temple! Just pull it back a little bit and then a passage appears! Hurry up and help my dad!

Link looked up in the general vicinity of the summit, "I actually have some business left to do on the top of the mountain." As if queued, a giant rumble reverberated throughout the cavern. The two heard a distant "clank" before another one came. The little Goron looked up at Link in awe and understanding.

"Woah! You got Biggoron to make you a sword! You're really smart," he laughed, "Well then, be careful Link!" With that, the little Goron curled up again and rolled away.

Link looked after him as he rolled away on the circular ring, then jumped down to the lower floor and entered the shop to retrieve the Goron Tunic.

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"Here you arrre Master Linnnk," Biggoron said, "Thisss is the finest blade I have everrr made, it will neverrr break."

Link smiled, "What inspired you to make a sword with such flawless craft?"

Biggorn flashed a toothy grin that Link interpreted as revenge, "I cannn see it Master Linnnk, you are the only one that can beat Gannnondorf."

Link's smile faded.

"I want you to get back at himmm for me, and for my people. This sword is the least I can do, but I'mmm afrrraid I am as powerful as a dead rrrock when it commmes to magic," he said rubbing an eye, "You have nnno idea how painnnful eternal lava rocks are in yourrr eyes."

"Eternal?"

"Mmmagic," Biggoron grumbled. "But annnyway, here is yourrr sword. May it serrrve you well."

Link's smile returned as he held the Biggoron's Sword high over his head. Finally, after beating impossible trials, racing neck-and-neck with time, laboring in many hardships, and nearly destroying old friendships, the sword was his at last!

He swung it around, up, down, over his shoulder, behind is back, then up and over his head again with the adrenaline of anticipation flowing through his veins. He now held the most powerful sword in Hyrule—and it was entirely at his disposal. He grinned devilishly, thinking of the devastation he could unleash on his foes in the name of vengeance.

Suddenly, the sword began to shine with a blue and white radiance. Link, knowing that this was part of the blades power, held it erect over his head despite its weight. The blade began to grow whiter and brighter until suddenly, it turned transparent and disappeared in Link's hands.

For awhile Link just stood there; his hands still in form to grasp the hilt, his arms towering over his body, and his head staring at the vacant spot where the blade used to be.

Navi looked at him expectantly, "Well? What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Link didn't look at her, his pupils had contracted to the size of needles, "Go…where…sword?" he asked distortedly.

Navi smiled maliciously, "Let's try that again, but this time put the words in order."

"Where…did…the…sword…go?" Link asked in a continually faltering voice.

Navi giggled and threw her hands up in exasperation, "You're telling me you didn't know yet?"

Link finally turned his head only a fraction of the way towards Navi only to give her a vacant look.

Navi sighed, "You have to _summon _the sword Link. That's the only way you can equip it! What you do is merely call for the Biggoron Sword, and when you pull the hilt from the sheath, you'll find the 'Biggy' in your hands instead of the Master Sword! You do the same thing with your Iron Boots and you _did _the same thing with your shields as a child! Don't you remember?"

After another moment, the concept dawned upon Link and the pallor disappeared from his face. He let down his arms and sat down like one does when they're lost.

He definitely felt stupid, but Navi let him slide this one time. She couldn't blame him for his own stupidity. After all, he was only a kid that wanted a new toy.

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Well, that wraps up this chapter! Yes, it's finally done! The Trading Game is over and it's onward into the heart of a burning, lava-ridden, active volcano! ::nudges Link into crater:: See what happens next time!

Ok, on a more serious note: Yes dear readers, it's over! This was a little short but I thought it only fair that we finish the Trading Game. As for the summon the sword thing, basically picture an Inuyasha and the Tetsusaiga if you watch Inuyasha (if you don't then you must! [14 and older plz]) where, when Link draws the Master Sword, it can kind of _grow _into the Biggy and vise-versa. I think it's a cool and more physically possible concept (for magic ''') as compared to carrying both sword swords and only using one and on anon….

Ok now that I'm done and I hit the caffeine low, I hit those reviews.

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**Thief of Baghdad:** Ty, I hope I can keep it running -

**Anthony Bault: **I would hope not lol.

**Greki:** lol…my moods can change. -

**Link of Kokiri forest: **And again and again, I thank you - And I will always write thanks to my supporting reviewers! ::take a bow guys::

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Thanks again guys and keep the reviews coming!


	9. Saint Peter and the Dragon

I don't own Nintendo or Zelda or any of this crap....

I mean…Disclaimer….

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_Jut on whom can I put the blame?_

_What can I do when my rights are wronged?_

_When everyone I care for winds up the same,_

_With whom does my blame belong?_

_._

_Who's to blame when I left my home?_

_Who's to blame when I opened the door?_

_Who's to blame when fate's set in stone?_

_To whom can I turn? And what for?_

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_Who does my revenge desire to meet?_

_Is there no one who can pay for the crime?_

_Who will pay the price of deceit?_

_Let the guilty be warned…I am the Hero of Time._

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_Who's to blame? Step forth…_

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"You again!" Link said through his teeth.

"Yes…me," Sheik answered walking up the bridge.

"Sheik, tell me! Where's Darunia? Is he going to be a sage too? Is another one of my friends going to throw their life away to destiny?!"

Sheik was quiet. He stared at Link's blazing eyes in a way that portrayed sympathy and cruel pity at the same time.

"I can't tell the future Link…I don't know if Darunia is the sage," came his reply.

_Liar! _Navi thought, _you know more than I do that Sheika's have the gift of foresight!_

Sheik shot Navi a vicious glare that penetrated fear into her heart. Startled, she squeaked a little and then flew into Link's hat.

Keeping Link out of the conversation, Sheik administered his deadly reply to the fairy. _You may be right Navi, but Link doesn't want to make me an enemy. Trust me on that._

Navi only whimpered more and stayed within the safety of Link's hat.

"Your faith in your friends is a powerful thing Link," Sheik said switching gears. "It is a feeling that originates in the heart and grows into a power from which you draw your strength. A feeling that, even in dire situations, is a light that you can hold on to, no matter how dark it may be outside. With the strength friendship, you will know where to go. Listen and play to the Bolero of Fire!"

Sheik took out his harp and began to play. The song was a dance in itself; as Sheik and Link played, the lava rose and leapt about them, swirling and flipping in a festive way. Flames formed and enclosed the players in a ring of fire. As the song finished, the flames went out in a finale and burst into nothing as Sheik played his last note.

Sheik put away his harp. "Link…I don't blame you for being angry at me, but you can't lose hope in your quest. In time you will find I am a greater help to you than you realize."

"No Sheik," Link said sternly, walking over to Sheik, "I want answers now, and we'll start with that mask—"

Link was cut short as a wall of fire suddenly shot up in between him and Sheik. Surprised, he jumped back to avoid being burned, and all the while Sheik stared at him through the fire. As Sheik backed away, Link saw the look of reluctance and sadness in Sheik's eyes that he knew all to well.

"Don't give up on me now Link," Sheik said, then threw a Deku Nut down and was gone.

The wall of fire then subsided and allowed Link to pass now that its task was done. Discomforted by Sheik's last words, Link continued on to the entrance to the Fire Temple. From the beginning of his quest, Link had been unable to regard Sheik as an ally. Sheik had said himself that it was Link's quest, and Link's quest alone…now the tables seemed to have turned now. It had always seemed to Link that everything Sheik did wound up hurting Link in someway or another, then to find out that he and Sheik were in this quest together…

_In time you find I am a greater help to you than you realize…_

Friendship.

_A feeling that originates in the heart and grows…_

Link veered of his path and began walking haphazardly. As he did he was unaware of Navi screaming for him to calm down. With the cascade of emotions and thoughts he never felt before, she could neither comfort nor quiet his beleaguered spirit.

Sheik was the cause…he pointed Link to the forest, only to see his love disappear from this realm. How could he be trusted?

_Don't give up on me now Link…_

Sheik was the one that told him Saria needed help…

In the midst of Link's mental riot, the rock island began to tremble, fire and lava swirled around it in a disgusting way as Link tried to force a path though his confused mind. Fire encircled the hero, but dared not attack in fear of retaliation. Lava jumped towards, but would not land on him. Link, on the contrary, paid no attention to the storm around him…his mind was very occupied.

Even if Sheik could be trusted…could he ever be a friend?

_It is a light that you can hold onto…_

Link was still conscious, but afraid now…the tide began to lower. In his wayward path he crossed the Pedestal of Fire and everything stopped. His thoughts, his fear, his body, everything had suddenly hit a hiatus.

Through the hot air, Link peered down at the sacred Pedestal.

Slowly, the thoughts forced their way back into his head and rekindled his confusion.

Trusting Sheik, the loss of his friends, his forgotten past…Link did not know where to turn.

_With friendship, you will know where to go…_

Suddenly, Link stood up strait and breathed. Navi found her chance to calm her partner.

"What are you going to do Link?" She asked soothingly.

"I don't know what to do about Sheik…yet; but, I know that there is a friend that I can trust in…and right now he needs my help," Link said confidently.

As the words left his mouth, the ground stopped shaking, the fire shrank back and fled the hero, and the lava was forced into submission. All before him the evil spirits of the volcano fled from the growing spirit of the hero. Link was now a rock against a tide, and despite the efforts, nothing had changed. Once again, Ganondorf failed to break Link's spirit.

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"Ha! Now that's my brother!" Darunia shouted in triumph, "I told you he would get in, no matter how many spirits you had guarding the crater!"

Ganondorf frowned and glared at the goron. He had only arrived to capture Darunia, when the dragon informed him that Link had indeed entered to temple prior to his arrival.

Reviewing his minions' failure through the ring of fire infuriated him. "Bah!" He cried, "They were only low-class sentinels! They are nothing compared to what guards my fortress!"

Darunia leaned against the edge of the prisoner's crystal and casually looked at his nails, "Well…can't say I disagree with you."

Volvagia snorted loudly overhead, "Master, he is getting on my nerves…may I eat him now?"

Ganon gritted his teeth hard against the goron's brutal, unscrupulous taunt and ignored the dragon. "You dare question my power?" Ganon asked in a deadly tone.

Darunia grinned, "No…not really. What I question is your intelligence. If your fortress sentinels are so strong, why not make more here eh?"

"Silence!" Ganon yelled.

"Is it because you're a strategic failure?"

"Enough!" Ganon roared, a dark aura starting to gather around him.

"Or is it because…" Darunia glanced mockingly at the infuriated king out of the corner of his eye, "You are too weak?"

With that, Ganon snapped, "Insubordinate fool!"

Ganon summoned his Dark Trident to his hands and began to gather energy as well as adding his own dark magic to the three points of his weapon.

Darunia didn't blink and proceeded to pick his nose.

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Ganon's temple and a vein in his forehead began to grow with each moment of the goron's nonchalant behavior.

Ganon snarled and began to chuckle, "Now Darunia…now you will know the meaning of true pain!" Immediately, Ganon threw the ball of energy at the prisoner's crystal holding Darunia.

As the magic attack enclosed on his prison, Darunia flashed a devious grin. He blinked, and his dark eyes were suddenly filled with an azure red light.

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The sage let Ganon's attack hit his own crystal, shattering it upon impact with only a fraction of damage done.

He spoke in the distorted and mixed voice of itself and Darunia combined, "I commend you Ganon, for releasing me from your own prison! But my time of awakening is neigh, and now, it is my turn to test your power!"

The sage curled up and sped off following the rim of the platform. As it gained speed, a fiery energy began to form around the sage. Then suddenly, without warning, it sprouted spikes and its speed doubled. Hurling around at a near 90 m.p.h but still in perfect control, the sage curved inwards for a hit-and-run attack at Ganondorf.

Ganondorf laughed long as he effortlessly parried the sage's attack and sent it reeling into the lava. For a few seconds everything was quiet as Ganon and his pet waited for the sage to surface.

Just as suddenly as it attacked, the sage burst out of the lava and rocketed above the platform until he was directly over Ganon, then administered the deadly Goron Pound technique…spikes and all.

Meanwhile, Ganon looked up at the bombing sage and raised his hand in the same way he had done to Saria.

The sage then collided with Ganon's barrier but did not ricochet off as expected, but instead kept spinning and slowly pushed its way down through Ganondorf's barrier.

The Dark King's face was tight and focused…waiting as the deadly revolving spikes drew closer and closer to his hand. With his power the cavern grew dark with shadow and Volvagia retreated into his burrows to flee from Ganon's demonic aura. When the sage was finally close enough, Ganon's eyes lit up and he pasted a vicious grin on his face, then he reached up and twisted his wrist to catch a spike. Immediately, the sage stopped spinning and the ensuing momentum unraveled it from its ball.

"What in Din's name?" The sage cried.

Ganondorf laughed, "Fool! You are bitterly outclassed here my friend!"

Ganon then leapt up high with the sage still in hand then threw it down at the platform so hard that the bedrock surface was cratered. Again, Ganon chuckled long and slowly in victory.

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Darunia woke up and shook his head. He was shocked beyond words.

_So…the legend is true after all._ He thought.

_Indeed…_the sage replied, _long ago I became apart of your ancestor's spirit, to wait until the day when I would awaken to abolish this…this pathetic creature!_

_Well that worked out perfectly didn't it?_ Darunia thought somewhat annoyed. _Is there nothing we can do?_

"No…there is not," Ganon answered victoriously, "you are the Sage of Fire and you are now my captive, there is nothing you can do against my power!"

Darunia looked up at Ganon defiantly, "Ha! Just wait _your majesty_, when Link comes—"

"Both of us will be long gone and Volvagia will feast on your chivalrous friend," Ganon finished for Darunia, forming another Prisoner's Crystal around him.

Darunia pounded angrily against the walls of the crystal as it rose into the air. Strangely though, Darunia began to laugh.

The Dark King frowned, "Now what are you laughing about?" He asked cautiously.

"I'm laughing at you Ganon…you can crush my city, you can crush the rock on my back, but there is something you will never crush!"

Ganon's eyes narrowed knowing full well what was coming next.

"You can never crush a friendship! It is indeed a feeling in the heart that only grows stronger as times grow harder. You, Ganon, have made times for Link and I very hard, and thus you have ensured your own doom.

The feelings of a pure spirit are strengths you can never defeat! I can tell Ganon…you know much about the feelings of the heart, but you know naught of how to conquer them! You will find the others in time…and you will cower before each of their power!"

"That's enough of you," Ganon said sternly. "It matters not what I can and cannot conquer, only what I can destroy…and you Darunia, are far from invincible."

Darunia kept laughing, mocking Ganon at his every word. "Oh Ganon if only you knew…" Darunia said as the world around him began to swirl,

"If only you knew what you couldn't conquer…maybe, just maybe you would have a chance."

Darunia kept laughing even as he departed from the realm of Hyrule, never to set foot there again. As he was alone in the void Darunia watched the moving image of his sworn brother and smiled. "Now Link," Darunia said crossing his arms across his chest, "prove to me that you and I are true friends…"

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As Link walked through the door to Volvagia's lair, he bore witness to an entire cavern with a single island of bedrock in a pool of lava. There was a separate and seemingly out-of-place platform that he could use to reach the island, and high above him the walls bore inwards to a point that gave the cavern an awkward, yet ecclesiastical appearance…this all in mind was despite the boiling lava that churned below.

After surveying his battle ground Link made his way to the bedrock island, where he found a number of burrows nearly filled to the brim with lava.

Link stood erect and called quietly into the cavern.

"I know you're here Volvagia, it is no use hiding. Show yourself and let us finish this quickly!"

A short silence ensued, and when Link was about to call again he suddenly felt the ground tremble beneath his feet. The square platform behind him sank into the lava, and the burrows began to belch reeking streams of molten rock.

The dragon's voice rang through the cavern, "You really are a hero, Link of the Foressst. You waist no time unlike your fallen predecessors, and for that I commend you! Knights can be ssso annoying with their self-righteous speeches, and their armor is quite unpalatable…But you…I senssse you are different."

Link chuckled maliciously, "Indeed. Come and take a look for your self."

With that the lava in the burrows burst and formed flying columns of magma. Link gritted his teeth as some of the lava splashed down on his shield.

Out of these burning columns came Volvagia, screaming as he went. He circled up and up until he was safely above the platform, then levitated to get a good look at Link.

"Ahh, no armor! Now I understand! You look delicious and I am getting tired of gorons anyway. After I kill you I'll go to prey on the people of the foressst…judging from you they sound tantalizing. "

With those words the cavern suddenly became dark. All that could be seen was the faltering glow of the lava and Link's eyes—burning into the back of his head.

"You will do no such thing…" Link hissed.

Volvagia then sensed something he had never felt before. Staring at those eyes, he did not know why, but he felt that he should be afraid. He pushed it aside, but shortly after this dawning feeling, Link snapped.

"Eat this!" He cried. In a lightning quick movement, Link sent a trio of arrows towards the sniveling dragon. Two found Volvagia's eyes, and the other found its way into his mouth.

Surprised for a moment Volvagia screamed and recoiled. After realizing that he was impervious to the projectiles though, Volvagia hissed and laughed as he merely pulled the arrows out of his eyes and swallowed the other.

"I will enjoy thisss," Volvagia hissed as he slid into his burrows.

"Link! Take out the hammer! You can't beat him with any of your other weapons!" Navi shouted. "Volvagia will come out of a burrow to surprise you and blow you away with his fire. Be ready for him!"

Link swapped his bow for the Megaton Hammer and waited for Volvagia to appear.

"I'll watch your back Link," Navi said flying out into the open. "But be careful nonetheless! Slaying a fire-breathing dragon isn't exactly a walk in the park!"

"Thanks…" Link said, still fuming over Volvagia's words.

After a few moments a burrow began to gurgle lava. Link immediately ran over to have Volvagia suddenly jump out and take him off guard. Link jumped back instantly, but retaliated with a jump attack. Using the reach of the Hammer, Link smashed Volvagia's thick skull.

Stunned by the awesome power of the hammer, the dragon screamed and lied limp at Link's feet.

Link stood there for a second. "…Is that it?" He asked.

"No!" Navi yelled, "Hit him again! Hit him again!"

Link raised an eyebrow to his partner, "The carnage _does_ fascinate you…doesn't it?"

Navi flew back in his face, "So I'm special, so what! He's only stunned! Hit him while he's stunned!"

Unable to contain his smile, Link casually walked over to Volvagia and once again bashed his cranium in.

Volvagia roared and held his head in his hands while he slid back into the burrow.

"So…basically this is a giant whack-a-mole game huh?" Link said watching for any sign of the dragon.

Suddenly Volvagia burst out of a burrow directly behind Link and coiled around him.

"Oh no Master Link, you will find me a tougher adversary than that!" Volvagia hissed.

Link dropped the hammer as Volvagia's burning hide wrapped around is body. Link gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tightly as he was endured the searing heat of the dragon's body, and all the while Volvagia laughed at his agony.

"You are very strong, young hero…but I am afraid this is as far as you go," Volvagia said opening his mouth directly at Link's head.

Link could see the air sucked into the dragon's mouth turning into a growing ball of fire at the back of its throat.

_Any last requests?_ The dragon asked Link telepathically

Link stared at death with a defiant smile. "Yeah…let me go," he smirked.

Volvagia laughed as well and decided to let the joke slide. _You jest…anything else?_

Link's mind raced for an idea as the fireball grew bigger. He needed to escape quickly lest he become barbecued finger food. "Yes actually," Link said, "…I want you to tell me something."

_And what would that be?_

"Tell me why you betrayed your father…the sage. He was your creator, didn't you feel any penance or regret for your actions against him?"

The fireball in the dragon's mouth suddenly disappeared and the dragon was silent for a while.

Link used the sudden lapse to slowly edge a hand into his item sack.

"The answer is simple Master Link," Volvagia said.

Link discretely pulled out the hookshot and released the chain—letting it drop harmlessly below.

"I had grown tired of the leash my father put on me. Then soon enough, I realized that I had been born with powers far greater than his. I knew that I was free to do as I wished…and I did just that, but he would always get in my way!"

Link began swinging the dangling chain gently. "But didn't you feel bad about it? He gave you life!"

"And he never stopped threatening to take it away!" Volvagia hissed. "I was a pet on a leash! Imagine yourself like that—doing everything you're told and receiving only scorn for your efforts!"

Link's eyes flashed at the dragon. "It's a shame it had to end this way, " Link said with a devious smile, "had we met under different circumstances I think you would find we aren't so different."

With that, Link suddenly retracted the hookshot in its swing, sending it flying around the dragon's hide. Link then let the hookshot extend once again, and grinned as the chain coiled with precision around the dragon's snout.

Immediately Link retracted and yanked on the chain, twisting Volvagia's head out of position, releasing Link from his death grip.

Volvagia screamed as soon as his mouth was open and instantly dived into one of the burrows.

"Nice work," Navi commented. "I never would've thought finesse was a better choice than force with a dragon."

Link beamed in light of his strategy. However, now his entire body was scared with multiple cuts and burns. Despite the pain that he felt though, Link ran over to where he dropped the hammer and waited for Volvagia to appear again.

He didn't have to wait long, soon enough a burrow began to gurgle on the opposite side of the platform.

Link ran over cautiously to the burrow to wait for the dragon. Instead of mounting a surprise attack though, Volvagia burst out of the burrow and streaked straight into the air. Link craned his neck to see Volvagia snaking his way across the top of the cavern, using his massive horns to break entire boulders off the top and cause them to come crashing down to the platform.

A boulder came loose right over Link and plummeted to the platform. Link instantly jumped to the side and no sooner than he had set down, the boulder crashed and broke apart in the space he just vacated.

Link was then on his toes, dodging any boulders that fell towards him. When the sky was finished falling, Link looked around only to see a tail slither into a burrow.

He gritted his teeth. "Coward! Come out and fight me!" Link yelled, but a silence ensued. He tried again, "Show yourself! Where are you?"

Instantly a burrow started gurgling fiercely. Link tightened his grip on the hammer and ran over to the boiling hole. He arrived shortly and was ready to spring the trap.

"Uh…Link?" Navi asked nervously.

"I got it," Link said raising the hammer.

"No Link…look," Navi said sounding confused.

Link was reluctant to take his eyes off the burrow, knowing full well the dragon's crafty tactics. However, several memories came to him. He flashed back to the stairs in the Sacred Medow, then the gallery in the Forest Temple, the ladder at the Lakeside Laboratory, and finally to the falling boulders of the mountainside. He knew if Navi saw something, he should too.

_Glad you finally have the picture,_ Navi beamed turning his head in the direction of another burrow.

Link saw the other burrow gurgling as well. Confused, he turned his head back to the boiling hole at his feet.

_What the—?_

Link understood as soon as the burrow at his feet stopped churning. The dragon tricked him again. Nonetheless, he made his best speed to where Volvagia was waiting for him. As soon as he was in range, Volvagia threw forth a massive wall of fire. Link, predicting the move, jumped to the side and narrowly avoided the attack. Coming upon the dragon, Link took the hammer far behind his back then brought it down again right on top of the dragon's jeweled forehead.

Again Volvagia screamed and held his head but this time threw Link back with an arm before collapsing. Link gritted his teeth as the claws ripped across his torso and staggered back once he landed; but again, Link merely ignored the pain and charged the stunned dragon without batting an eyelash.

Angered by the damage he had taken, Link jumped high in the air and swung the hammer with every ounce of strength he could summon, and letting out his battle cry as he did so. Link was still in the air when the hammer connected with the dragon's head resulting in a huge force that delved a crater into the bedrock.

Volvagia felt his skull fracture under the impact. He let out a terrifying shriek that rang through out the cavern and slid back into his burrow once again, but this time Link felt an air of failure from the way the dragon slinked back into his lair. He grinned with cold satisfaction—the dragon had run out of tricks, and this whack-a-mole game was as good as done.

That did not matter however, as Link suddenly started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. He doubled over with his hands on his knees and started panting. The reason became clear when he saw a steady trickle of blood splatter and blacken on the platform.

_Link you're losing too much blood,_ Navi said urgently, _you have to hurry up and finish this or you'll have you use the last healing fairy we have._

_I know_, Link replied. _They say even a hero bleeds…well then, this is my share._

Navi was silent with admiration and pride as Link tore off the arms of his jumpsuit to serve as makeshift bandages.

It wasn't long until Volvagia was forced to appear again. Again he made a burrow gurgle falsely, only to meet Link's hammer twice again. The rest of the battle went on without heart, occasionally he would break boulders off the cavern roof or fly around Link, trying to hit him with a wall of fire, but it was all too easy for the hero.

Soon enough the dragon's skull shattered under the might of the megaton hammer, and he burst out of his burrows for a final time.

Volvagia was screaming his head off (quite literally) as he coiled and twisted about in the air. Suddenly, his body started to combust, tail first, then upward. With no sense to put it out, the Dragon only screamed and twisted in its fiery exit. Link could only watch as proof of his endeavor burned into nothing. Finally, with his entire body gone, the shattered skull and skeleton of Volvagia stopped in midair, then landed directly at Link's feet.

_Link…Link I have to tell you something._ The mouth still opened and closed in silent screams, but the dragon was alive even still, and spoke to the hero telepathically.

_What is it friend?_ Link replied.

_I…I lied to you before…about—about my massster._

Link's brows furrowed.

_I_ did _feel bad about breaking from him…I—I will forever love him for giving me life…it's just that…_

"He didn't love you back…" Link finished aloud.

The dragon paused. _Yes…yes…I was only a tool for him. I was expected only to protect this…this sacred land. Always more…and nothing less._

"And so you broke from him?"

_Yesss…yes I did, and it is something I sorely regret. But even still…I hate him for what he did to me! Link…I have a last request._

Link knelt down in front of the dragon's head. "What is it?"

_When I was born my master put upon me a spell…a spell that would never allow me to move against or hurt him. In time it became my leash…please…I don't care what you do, or what it takes. Just take it off. Before I pass from this realm, I want to be free…just once…it will be the last thing…that I do._

Link thought. He had every intention of fulfilling the dragon's request at this sign of repent, but how he would he didn't know. He saw no metal collar binding the dragon's neck, no iron chains, no shackles…but he _did_ see something.

Link reached out and touched a tiny ruby embedded in the center of the dragon's forehead. Despite the beating Volvagia's skull had taken, the jewel was boasted no scratches at all.

Link smiled and withdrew the jewel from the bone effortlessly. Volvagia hissed in dismay.

_The jewel? This entire time it was the jewel? Hah…I should have known._

A brief silence passed before the dragon struggled to speak again.

_Master Link…I want to ask you something._

"And what would that be?"

_You…you called me a friend…why?_

Link smiled. "I said before that you and I aren't too different…you will find we are very much the same."

Volvagia stared up at the bleeding face of the hero. He saw the stern look, the small but steady stream of blood trickle from his brow and down into the eye, and in gazing through it Volvagia froze.

_A friend…_Volvagia repeated. _You are right…I can see it Link._

Link's smile faded, he had heard that line a few too many times before.

_We are exactly alike friend…no…no you're worse than me! I can see it…The dragon's head trembled slightly. When I see you Master Link, I don't think I'm that bad…Strange this encounter was…In the light of my defeat…you, you freed me, you called me a friend…but I saw your spirit—cold and hardened to the core. And even still…I saw them too…I saw the feelings._

Link was listening intently and noticed that his eyes were steadily growing wider and wider with each of the dragon's words. "What did you see?"

_I saw a pure heart._

With his final words, Volvagia's skull crumbled into ashes and blew away into the heart of the volcano.

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Ok ok so that dragged on a bit but I think I'll post it anyway. Well that wraps up this chapter and then it's off towards greater peril…Ruto that is…

Tell me what you think of this chapter…I'm really not to sure it was the best way to go but I tried my best to give you a good fight. Tell me if there's too much talk and I'll see if I can fix it at all. Um and one other thing you guys should know: I'm going to be posting songs for a bunch of chapters soon to come. The thing is, there are multiple songs that could fit multiple chapters and vise-versa. If you think a song could fit a different chapter than the one it's in, then tell me and I'll see if I can fix that as well. Thanks a bunch!

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Note: sorry, but I had to update to fix an _italics_ problem hopefully this time it will work otherwise I dunno…sorry if you think I had another chapter out already.

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Ok and now the reviews…

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**babowonsuni: **Yea…as the end of the chapter clearly states, there will be themes to some chapters that I've set up as the puzzle pieces to the human spirit ::coughs:: cheese ::ahem:: but they'll be easy to spot.

**Greki: **Well, if you have work that's fine lol. I don't command you to read my story you know (exclude R&R command…mortal! Bwahaha!)

**Anthony Bault: **Actually I think that's the kind of thing I'm trying to get at. The bag looks like any other small sack but when Link puts his hand in, the item he wants is immediately pulled out…Kinda like Mary Poppins' handbag if you ever watched that as a kid. And for the sword, I don't think I meant summon…it just grows into the biggy and shrinks into the master sword. This way I've made magic apply to modern physics and weight ratios to make things…well…make sense.

**Kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: **Really? COOL! Ty ty I will! -

**Link of Kokiri forest: **::twitches:: They...did…what?

**JIJ: **Well for the fire temple I think I could've done better but rest assured, the water temple wont be something to miss!

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Thanks again so much! R&R!


	10. The Evils Within Us

Ok people I know you're tired of this by now BUT I have found something to end it!

I did my homework and found out that you only have to put a disclaimer at the start of the entire story

Instead of every chapter like we've been doing so HEY!

But just for kicks…

Disclaimer.

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Malon ventured a look at Link while she soaked a rag with water. He had the same look in his eyes that he did when he came back from the forest. This time however, he came back with a broken body instead of a broken spirit. She jerked the rag, ridding it of excess water then sat down on the bed by Link.

"I swear you're going to kill yourself one of these days," she said disapprovingly.

"It's not like he tries," Navi answered from a shelf. "It just…happens."

"Serious burns and slashes across your body don't _just happen_," Malon shot indignantly.

Link turned and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "You really don't have to do this…"

"Don't say that, of course I do! You were an inch away from death when you rode in here!"

Link sighed and reached into his item bag as Malon edged the rag toward a deep gash across his upper back. She wondered how he could even move with this many wounds, but nonetheless she gingerly dabbed the open scar to clear the blood away. In the corner of her eye though, she thought she spotted Link holding a heart-shaped jewel. She blinked, and it was gone.

Link breathed a deep sigh of relief as he absorbed the Heart Container. He had been reluctant to use it at first. After listening to Volvagia, it just didn't seem right to him.

Malon had started cleaning another wound when the heart container's healing power did its work. She stopped in confusion as the bloody gash disappeared right before her eyes. She blinked and Link was off the bed reaching for his torn red tunic.

"Wait a minute!" She said more in surprise than worry. "Where do you think you're going?"

Link concealed a grin.

The scars were still vanishing one by one off his back, and Malon took a step back when the torn parts of his tunic and jumpsuit came together and mended themselves seamlessly. She blinked again and the tunic was green.

"How did you…what was…I could have done that," Malon said bewilderedly.

Link smiled at her and stretched, "It's magic," he said. "It only works on a select few, but if you defeat a powerful monster, chances are it will leave behind a Heart Container. If you have more than one, then you can take damage that would normally kill a person and still live."

Malon contemplated this awhile before speaking again. "Well then why don't you tell me where you're going? You seem in a god awful hurry…"

Link sighed and sat down on the bed beside her. "You're right…I'm only rushing to certain death anyways."

Malon's eyes narrowed, "Oh come on!" she said. "You went off to _certain death _a week ago and came back here barely alive! What could possibly be worse than fighting a vicious fire-breathing dragon in a pool of lava?!"

Link turned his head to her and grinned sheepishly, "My wife."

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Malon listened to the story carefully, but it was another one of Link's adventures that she really didn't need to hear. Still, there was something from before nagging at the back of her head.

"Just who is Sheik anyway?" She asked suddenly.

Link didn't answer and looked away. Malon got the message that she was in uncharted territory and looked to Navi for help.

Navi returned a stern glance. "We don't know who Sheik is," Navi said at last. "We know that he's our only key to understanding this future, but we think he knows a little too much about Ganondorf and the temples to be a friend. Still…he's the only one who gives us the answers."

"Answers?" Link asked incredulously, "What answers has he given us? He has them all! He has them all hidden behind that mask of his!"

Malon was silent.

"There's just one thing I don't get," Navi said staring off. "And that's Princess Zelda. Sheik obviously has some serious connection with her. If he's an ally, why not just tell us where she is? Now that Link is around she doesn't need to hide any more."

Malon thought and said, "Well…if she's still hiding, there must be a reason. And that's probably why this Sheik has been holding so many answers back…to prevent exposing her."

"I thought of that," Navi said keeping her eyes fixed on the wall. "But it doesn't make sense to me. What in the world could that reason be? And why does he know who's going to be a sage? Or…how? There's to many unanswered questions for us to trust him. But that's just the beginning…" Navi trailed off.

Malon looked to Link expectantly.

"When we were in the volcano Sheik told us we were in this quest together…when said that the quest was mine alone in the forest. When he's the last person I want to join up with, he tells me were team mates…"

"So…what are you going to do?" Malon asked cautiously.

Link was silent for some time as a forgotten light and thought made its way into Link's eyes.

"I don't know what I'm going to do Malon," he said standing up. "I don't even belong here…"

Malon looked away knowing this side of Link all to well.

"I'm fighting for what's already lost…and what's the point of faith when there's nothing to believe in?"

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Ganondorf looked at the image in the water of Link making his way though Temple. He'd figured by now that his sentinel spirits were useless against Link. Now that he contained the power of three sages, they were just a waste. Instead, he'd absorbed their power to make the temple an endless labyrinth of puzzles and traps. However, there was a little magic to spare, so he decided to make a little something…extra.

"Do you honestly think _that's_ going to stop him?!" Ruto spat.

Morpha bounced excitedly around the two.

Ganon rolled his eyes. The damned fish stick hadn't stopped talking since he captured her. Ruto had been able to infiltrate the dungeon as well, and in a short rendezvous had told Link the clue to solving the dungeon's key puzzle. Fortunately, he pulled her out of Link's reach before she could give him any more clues.

"My dear," Ganon said mockingly, "what would it be if I didn't believe in my own creation?"

"A waist of time!"

Ganon grumbled and turned his attention back to Link making a good pace through the dungeon.

_It's that damned fairy, _Ganon thought. _She's too smart for her own good…_

"Are you listening to me?!" Ruto ripped him away from his thought. "Once Link gets here he'll tear you apart and—"

She didn't have time to finish as she was suddenly thrown up against the wall on the opposite side of the spiked room. She was in a daze after hitting the wall but she saw Ganon in a stance like he had just pitched a fastball. Ruto looked down at was pinning her to the wall and saw the shaft and blades of a trident. The blades had dug themselves into the wall right around her neck. Instantly she shrieked a little and grabbed the shaft of the trident in an attempt to pry herself free.

"Comfortable?" Ganon asked with a vile smirk. Ruto snarled at him.

"Good, and now that I have your _undivided _attention, I'd like to talk."

Ruto cried out in pain as the side of a blade made a shallow cut in her neck, sending green blood trickling down the edge.

Ganon looked at the Zora disgustedly. "It's hard to believe the likes of you could be worthy to be a sage."

"What?" the Zora princess asked incredulously, "I am of Royal birth! There is nothing I don't qualify for!"

Ganon snorted and outstretched his arm. The trident dislodged itself from the wall and flew to his hand, sending Ruto tumbling to the floor.

"Well then…let me show you," Ganon said forming a ball of black magic in his hand.

The ball of energy illuminated Ganon's face and his vile smirk. Ruto just stayed there, kneeling on the floor before him—fear penetrating every inch of her body.

"Link?" She whimpered to herself, "Link help me…"

Ganondorf laughed at the look on her face. "Pathetic…" He uttered, and then hurled the ball of energy at her.

Ruto screamed in agony as the ball splashed all over her body. She doubled over as the black lighting pierced every inch of her flesh.

_This isn't fair! _She thought. _Why is he doing this to me? Who does he think I am?!_

Just like Saria, Ruto felt something inside her growing stronger and stronger with every passing second of the pain. In the midst of her agony she felt a rush of anxiety, like she was standing in front of an approaching tidal wave—just waiting for it to crash down on her.

"Now young Ruto," Ganon said, "it's time for you to know who you really are!"

Ruto's eyes lit up with a bright blue light that illuminated the area around her. The sage stood up and literally tore the magic lighting off its body and snarled at Ganondorf.

"You will regret this day Ganon…" It said in a low tone.

"What?" Ganon asked unscrupulously. "You mean you _liked_ hiding in that pathetic wretch of a princess?"

"Enough talk!" The sage roared. "We will settle this now!"

Ganon spread a vicious smirk across his face and back-flipped onto one of the center platforms. "As you wish…"

Immediately the entire chamber flooded with water and the sage took off like a supersonic torpedo. Ganon merely stood in the middle of the submerged chamber, not even bothering to emit a barrier for air.

The sage suddenly stopped swimming and opened its fins like a fan. Then, in a lighting quick movement, threw a hailstorm of razor-sharp scales in Ganon's direction. Ganon merely spun his trident in front of him, and batted every one of the scales away effortlessly.

The sage gritted its teeth and its eyes flared intensely, but wasted no time and once again took off at an unbelievable speed. It circled Ganon again and again, speeding up with each pass; until eventually, the water in the chamber was a giant whirlpool.

Ganon merely stood in the midst of the torrent, the incredible force of water doing nothing to even push him an inch. The sage, seeing this, instantly stopped and reversed direction, causing an incredible number of smaller whirlpools to form and spin off in every direction. The sudden change surprised Ganondorf to say the least, and was alert as countless walls of water slammed into him at breakneck speeds. The sage was only fueling the giant whirlpool, and Ganon knew there would be no end the number of torrents. This did not worry him however, what concerned him was that he needed air.

Ganon crossed his arms across his chest and lowered his head as he drew a dark aura about him. After he sensed he had gathered enough energy, he threw his arms apart and released a magnificent force that blew the water away into nothing.

With the water level back to normal, the sage dived into the water and began navigating between the platforms. In a last ditch effort, it gained speed and rocketed out of the water and flipped forward to initiate a smash kick on Ganon. Seeing the attack, Ganon smirked and held his trident horizontally to fend of the attack. The sage's foot connected hard with the trident but could not break through it, so the sage back-flipped off and landed in a fighter's stance in front of Ganondorf.

Ganon chuckled and lowered his trident, "Well played," he said. "Now let's finish this!"

The sage snarled and lunged forward with a swipe toward Ganon's head. Ganon parried the blow and ducked a second swipe from the sages other fin. The sage then twisted around to throw a deadly kick at the king, however, Ganon suddenly lurched forward and grabbed the sage by the back of the neck before it could attack.

The sage gasped for air as Ganon's massive hand tightened around its entire neck. He raised the sage high in the air like it was a trophy.

"Well," Ganon said mockingly, "at least your effort wont be forgotten." Then he threw her hard towards the opposite wall.

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Ruto woke up in a daze. She was trying to shake the fog in her head away when she suddenly realized what she had done.

"No way…th-that's impossible!" She said nervously to herself. "That's nothing more than a bedtime story!"

_Young Ruto_, the sage interjected._ You will see that we are much more than a passing myth…_

Ruto nearly jumped back in surprise when she heard the distorted voice.

You saw what we did…you experienced first hand our power…believe what you want, but know that we are the Sage of Water!

Ruto was still trying to take in all of this when she noticed a pair of legs clouding her view. She looked up fearfully to find Ganon grinning widely.

"Now do you see?" He asked, "Now do you know how pathetic you are?! You amount to nothing in life, and yet you were chosen to be…"

In all honesty, Ruto still didn't know why she wasn't "worthy" enough to be something so great.

_I am a princess after all, _she thought to herself. She could never consider the fact that an ignorant and proud tongue was a common trait among the Zoras.

"Well anyways it doesn't matter…" Ganon continued.

"Huh?"

There was a brief glint in Ganon's eye as a Prisoner's Crystal formed around Ruto.

"You're a sleeping sage sweat-heart, and I simply cannot allow you to wake up."

"But why do you want me?!" Ruto nearly screamed. "Obviously, I'm no match for you even as 'a sage' so why are you taking me captive?!"

Ganon snickered, "Let's just call it an extra precaution. You see Ruto, Link is the only one in Hyrule capable to awaken you as a sage…and if he does, you will endow upon him all of your power. Though he is still no match for me, I'd rather kill him now than wait until later."

"He'll make you pay for this," Ruto hissed.

Ganon saw his chance.

"You really think so?" He asked curiously.

"Of course! If he's so capable then he'll have _no _problems with _you_!" Came the snobbish answer.

Ganon scratched his chin.

"He'll rip you apart for what you've done to me!"

The Dark King drew a malicious grin across his face and chuckled long and slow.

Ruto was confused by Ganondorf's little charade. "Now what are you laughing about?" she demanded.

"You seem to have a lot of faith in Link…"

"Of course I do! He's as good a person as he is a fighter, and you'll _never_ be able to overcome his strength!"

Ganon chuckled again, "You really think that he's a good person? You think that he'll get revenge on me?"

"Are you deaf? How many times must I say it?!"

A circular shadow appeared behind the King and moved quickly across the floor. As it neared Ganon's heels, it suddenly shot up in a narrow cylinder and then started to melt into form.

"Your faith is wasted…" Ganon muttered under his breath as the creation took form behind his back, well out of Ruto's sight. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face. Meanwhile, Ruto was getting bored while Ganon just stared at her with that vile smirk on his face.

"Well?" She asked expectantly, "what now? Are you just going to wait for Link to—"

Ruto's blood froze when she saw someone step out from behind Ganon's back—someone she knew very well.

"Hello love," Link sneered at her.

Ruto found enough strength to urge her mouth to talk (not surprisingly to say the least).

"L-Link! Wh-What are you—oh! Get him! Kill Ganondorf now before he runs off!"

Link peered at the king out of the corner of his eye. "This guy?" he asked pointing a thumb.

"Yes!"

"Kill him?"

"Yes kill him!"

"Really? Kill him you say?"

"DO IT NOW!"

Link spread a toothy and malicious grin across his face. "Nah…I'd rather not."

"What?" Ruto demanded through her teeth. Even if she was shocked at Link's behavior, she masked it up well with anger.

"Well love," Link said. "I just don't know…he seems a trifle strong…"

Something was wrong, that much Ruto knew and could plainly see. Link's tunic and hat were all black as night, as well as his shield. It still had the same shape; the gold Triforce and red phoenix were still there, but the rest of the shield was jet black instead of Navy Blue.

Link's eyes were different too. The irises had suddenly turned blood red and were marked with pupils as black as the rest of him. Gone was the cold light in his eyes and now replaced with a fiery one.

Still, he looked just the same. He had the same soft face, the same golden hair, the same quiet voice, the same white jumpsuit underneath the tunic, and the same piercing glare of his eyes. To Ruto, everything about him was the same…but one thing was missing.

Ruto's eyes narrowed, "Where's your fairy?"

Link snickered and Ruto choked when a black-light fairy flew out of his hat and perched on his shoulder.

"Present and accounted for," the fairy said.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Ruto's face and she sank to her knees.

"You're not Link…" she uttered, more to herself. "You can't possibly be Link!"

Shadow Link snickered, "Trust me love, I'm more of Link than you realize…"

Before Ruto could even respond, Ganon clasped a firm and prideful hand on Link's shoulder.

"Isn't he a masterpiece? Meet my son, Cage…and his little helper, Nike. He is Link himself, and yet he is not entirely Link…"

Ruto stared at Cage with wide and questioning eyes.

"I'm made out of Link himself. I have everything he has, his memories, his appearance, even his fairy. But what I am is his anger, his pain, I am his power!"

Ganon stepped forward, "This is where the road ends for him Ruto. Link has lost his faith in this world, he has lost his friendships, and he has lost his love! There is _nothing_ he has left! I merely took the evils inside of him…nothing more. If good truly _can _conquer evil…this is the time to prove it, but…I would say his chances are slim to none."

Ruto leaned on the inside of the crystal with her hand and forehead, staring languidly at the floor. She knew what Ganon was going to say next, and if he was speaking the truth about Link then he was probably right.

"This is where your hero will fall."

A fire suddenly rekindled itself in Ruto's heart. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as tears began to stream down the sides of her face.

"You're wrong…" Ruto managed to say. "He still has faith…he has _my _faith, and that will _never _change."

"Oh it will Ruto," Ganon challenged. "and it's a pity you won't realize it until its far too late…"

With that, the world around Ruto began to disappear. She could only watch as the room became a blur of colors, and then was gone. All that was left was a rippling pool of water below her—depicting the man she once called her husband.

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As soon as Ruto was gone, Ganon's smirk replaced itself with a serious frown and he turned to Cage.

"I think you already know the tremendousness of your upcoming battle do you not?" he asked sternly.

"I do. Forever has the two sides of good and evil been bitter rivals, but this is our chance to reign as the stronger!" Cage answered excitedly.

"Precisely," Ganon said, "By taking the evils out of Link, I've ensured a fair and decisive match." Ganon once again clasped his massive hand on Shadow Link's shoulder. "But beware, with carelessness comes defeat. You must not fail."

"Not to worry master," Cage answered with a sneer, "defeat has been rendered impossible…"

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Link walked idly into a massive chamber. A shallow layer of strange water covered the entire floor, and a lone tree stood into the center. Link looked up to find that he was in the midst of a very thick fog. He stood alert at once, knowing this was no ordinary room. He looked to Navi, already investigating the inscrutable fog.

"Link!" she cried. "Come and look at this!"

She was over by the corner of the archway looking off into the mist. Link ran over to her and almost immediately noticed what she was looking at. There was nothing behind the archway that he just came out of! All there was around them was just the two archways, a few remains of some stone structures, and the gaunt tree in the center; everything else beyond them was just thick white fog, and the strange sheet of water. Link attempted to walk behind the archway but slammed into something he didn't see.

"Ow…"

Link stopped dead and looked around, something was strange in the way he said that. It was as if he didn't speak at all, but nonetheless he shrugged off the feeling and began to feel around for an invisible wall. Sure enough, he found a flat and hard wall level with the archway…invisible to the eyes but still there.

"An illusion…" Navi said aloud. "This entire room is an illusion.

With nothing more exciting to explore, Link stood up and headed toward the opposite archway. As he passed the tree Navi slowed in her flight to look at something far more interesting.

"Link…" she said distraughtly.

Link looked at her over his shoulder. "What is it?"

"Your reflection…"

Link glanced down at his feet and saw nothing. Perturbed, he looked back up at Navi but no sooner than he met her eyes did he realize what she meant.

Link's reflection was gone. He looked back down frantically and dropped to his hands and knees, waving his hand out to see nothing wave back.

"I-It must be magic…" Navi stuttered.

"No it's not…"

Link stood up again, having the same feeling he did at the wall. Even still, he explained.

"I don't know why Navi, but the second I walked into the Temple I've felt…different."

"…What?" Navi lied, knowing exactly what he meant.

"It's like I can't feel anything anymore…like I'm—"

"Incomplete…"

Link's eyes narrowed and he turned his head toward the tree. In the fog he could barely make out the trunk, but he could tell it was slightly fatter, and had several odd points protruding out of it.

Link stood up and walked over to the tree to see a dark man at its trunk. He held a shield and sword crossed over his chest, and was darkly clothed. His face was low into his chest, and through the fog Link couldn't hope to see it.

"Who are you?"

"I am you, but if that's true then who are you?"

"Wh-what?"

"You are an empty shell."

Link was silent.

"I am everything that was inside of you, and if you want me back, then prepare to fight!"

Link drew his sword as the man stepped away from the tree. In an instant, the fog cleared and Link ventured a look at the mysterious person. He took a step back in surprise when the man lifted his head to reveal an identical image of himself.

"You…you're my…"

"That's right…I'm your reflection," Shadow Link said bursting forward in a lunge.

Link parried the blow and back-flipped out of range.

"I am your pain! I am this future! I am the reason you are fighting!"

Link understood immediately when he made contact with those blood-red eyes; the fire that had disappeared from his own eyes were now a part of the man that stood before him. As Cage charged again Link realized that this fight would not only determine if he could beat himself, but that it would draw the line between good and evil within.

Link instantly plunged forward in a devastating series of strikes, only to be matched at the same time with devastating series of strikes. He knew he would need a new strategy in order to beat himself.

Link called out to Navi, only to see her sizing up an identical black-light fairy.

"…I don't look _that_ fat do I?" Navi uttered contentiously.

Her alter ego flared up intensely. "Look again you blind little wench!" Nike yelled with a slap.

The two combatants froze in mid-strike and took a sidelong glance at the battling fairies, then back at themselves, and then immediately started fighting again.

Link thrust his sword forward only to have his opponent strike at the same blow at the same time, canceling each other out. Desperate to get a hit in, Link thrust forward in a series of stabs. Cage sneered and waited for Link to get close enough, then in a heartbeat jumped up on top of Link's blade.

Link stared stupidly at Cage's feet, which took advantage of the situation by kicking Link's chin up and then flipping off the sword. Link staggered back after the kick and wiped the blood away from his mouth. He stared at Cage with vengeful eyes and held his sword with both hands.

Cage watched in horror as the Master Sword started to grow in length and size. In a flash of blue light it was completed and Link was again charging in to thrust. Cage held up his shield and blocked the first blow, but force of the strike caused him to stagger back off-balance. When the second strike came, his hands were thrown out of position, leaving him wide open. Link instantly thrust a third time and stabbed Cage deeply in the chest. Cage fell back and splashed into the water. Strangely though, Cage seemed to have fallen face down on the other side of the reflection in the water.

Confused, Link ran over and bent over to see his reflection smirking back at him. It then seemed to Link that his reflection stood up on the other side of the mirror, and then kept swinging back until he was upright again—back-to-back with Link.

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Link's temple when he figured where his reflection had gone. He only had time then to turn around and meet the black blade of his opponent.

.

The battle raged on with ferocity as the two kept cutting each other down. A strike from Link here, followed by a counter from Cage—none of the fighters showed any signs of giving up. Inevitably, fatigue seized the duelists and they stopped at the same time. They glared fiercely at each other through their weariness, panting heavily and barely able to lift their own swords.

A flicker of light passed between their eyes and instantly they dropped all their weapons and charged each other only with their bare fists. They connected at the same time with a sickening crack, and the real fight was on. They grappled and wrestled with each other, both emulously struggling to gain the upper hand, and neither one even bothering to defend themselves.

It was Link that found Cage's neck, and he began to squeeze fiercely. As Link's grip tightened around Cage's throat, a single stream of black mist escaped from Cage's chest and snaked its way up Link's arm into his body. Seeing Link's soul escaping from him, Cage desperately battered Link's face with a barrage of punches until he finally let go and rolled away. Cage keeled in the water gasping for air, trying to get the life back into his limbs. While a few meters away, Link finally realized what he was fighting for, and viciously tackled his darker self. The two rolled a bit before Link was able to get a hold of the black tunic and pin his reflection on the floor.

"Give it back…" Link hissed through a bloody face.

Cage managed a single half-hearted laugh.

"Give it back!" Link screamed; pulling him up and then slamming him back down.

Link grabbed his sword and held it ready to stab down into his reflection's throat. Cage kept laughing as Link pulled him to his feet and then threw him off with a powerful kick. Cage stumbled to the ground a few meters away.

Link waited for him to move, so he could finish him off without shame, but was confused to hear a slow and muffled laughing coming from the fallen warrior.

"It will not end here…" Cage uttered between laughs.

Link walked cautiously over, waiting for Cage to suddenly mount an attack.

"It's a shame it cannot be broken…we forever will be rivals. But…you can be sure…" Cage said dragging himself to his feet. He swayed like a drunk and his arms hanged uselessly at his sides.

"This isn't over…" Cage grunted with a wicked smile.

With an extraordinary show of strength, Cage surged forward on stumbling feet and dived straight into Link's chest. Link fell back with the force, but found no one on top of him when he hit the floor. Instinctively, he scrambled to his feet and looked around frantically.

"Link…" Navi said softly touching his cheek.

Link jumped, but calmed himself when he realized who she was.

Navi smiled. "Link, look…" She said pointing at the water.

Link looked down at the water to find his ordinary self, staring back at him. He knelt down slowly and felt his face, and saw his reflection do the same.

"Wh-what happened?" He asked wearily.

"Isn't it obvious? You conquered yourself! You conquered the evils inside you!" Navi said happily.

"No Navi…" Link said staring at the fierce, cold light behind his eyes. "I didn't"

.

_Now I can taste _

_The war that I've been fighting_

_Start to fall but I'm still standing here _

_Behind the wall of dying faith _

__

_I cant forget _

_The fight that's growing stronger _

_Face to face with hopes of longer days _

_To build on something we should save _

__

_I stand alone I'm on my own _

_My hands will bleed [my hands will bleed] _

_I'm holding on to what is gone _

_What's left of me? _

__

_I'm falling down _

_But I should find my strength in this _

_A light that burns to reconnect _

_My heart for what its meant to give _

__

_I stand alone _

_I'm on my own _

_My hands will bleed [my hands will bleed] _

_I'm holding on to what is gone _

_What's left of me? _

__

_Walk! _

_Fall! _

_Stand again so I can _

__

_Walk! _

_Fall! _

_Stand again so I can _

__

_Walk! _

_Fall! _

_Stand again so I can _

_FALL!!! _

__

_I stand alone _

_I'm on my own _

_My hands will bleed [my hands will bleed] _

_I'm holding on to what is gone _

_What's left of me? _

.

.

.

Ok folks that's it for this chapter. Yes…I do owe you an explanation so here it is:

I thought that Shadow Link sounded better than Dark Link and that Cage sounded better as a name for him…there's Link, and then there's Cage…get it? Anyway I also skipped out on the fight with Morpha…sorry if you guys were expecting for Link to clean up all that purple goo. I just think Dark Link was a better highlight than the boss…anyway the song is Falling Down, again by Story of the Year, hope it fit the story well. OH! And if there seems to be a major format problem (italics, paragraph spacing) etc, then tell me and I'll fix it!

Tell me what you think about this one! -

.

Update note: I re-did the fight between Link and Cage because it _was _indeed rushed and done poorly. Sorry again if you guys think I updated a chapter so soon. Next chapter may take awhile…I just got a really cool game to work on my computer and lets see if I get anything done…oh yea and I have to rush to get homework done but don't you guys worry, the next few chapters will be great!

.

**Zeron999: **panting out in a little over a week….that fast enough? lol

**Lizai: **Well, I think that Inuyasha ROCKS! But that's just my opinion lol. And I just call Link an elf just for the pointy ears.

**Kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: **Sounds like a deal lol. Oh and you other people should listen to this girl lol.

**Link,SSB,and Yu-Gi-Oh-Fan: **Well, I cant afford movies or the mangas so I watch it on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network and it's still on there so I'M OKAY!!!Geh heh heh…

**Erinamation-limited2-nothing: **Well glad to hear that lol. -

.

Thanks again!


	11. Flames of Darkness

Disclaimer: Not possible now…like I said…everything I saw…don't believe it. T-T

* * *

* * *

The immortal children of Kokiri Forest waited nervously around the log opening at the west end of the village. Mido was staring daggers into the gloom of the log, wondering about how this had all come to pass. The strangest turn of events had fallen on top of Kokiri Village that morning, and now the whole village was waiting for the boy who had disappeared into that very opening in search of something greater than any of them could fathom.

"I knew it all along…" Mido muttered to the children around him. "He's a traitor to the forest…that's why he never had a fairy! He killed the Deku Tree and now he ran away before we could get him!"

The childrens' minds were clouded with mixed opinions. They could hardly believe that someone as nice as fairyless could be capable of such atrocities, but at the same time, all of Mido's claims were true.

Nonetheless, they all stood at the entrance to the village, waiting for any sign of life that might tell them their friend had returned. True to their patience, they eventually heard the soft patter of footsteps originating from the other side of the log opening.

Saria walked through the entrance, devoid of the warm spirit that usually accompanied her. She took a single glance at the pallid children before her, and then continued on to her house.

The children parted to let her through and they stared after her for a while until a wave of realization swept over them and many of them stealthily followed her to her house, where they peeked in her doorway—intent on hearing everything.

Saria walked languidly into her house and flopped facedown onto her bed, not even noticing Arisa busy at her stove.

"Hey you!" Arisa said cheekily, "Help me out with this stew! I'm no cook and you know that."

"I'm not very hungry…but thanks anyway," Saria answered from her pillow.

Arisa pouted, "Aww…but I got all these vegetables out…"

"I'm not hungry!"

Arisa's brows furrowed and her giddy expression turned serious. She turned her head to Saria. "Alright, what happened?"

Saria was hesitant to answer, "Link's gone…" she said quietly.

"Huh?"

A heartless smile spread across Saria's face and she flipped over onto her back.

"Do you remember when the Deku Tree called on us to raise Link?" She asked.

"A little bit…why?"

"Do you remember when the Deku Tree said that Link was a child of destiny? That he would one day have to leave us?"

Arisa scratched her head trying to remember, "I...think so…but what does that have to do with—"

Arisa dawned upon the answer when she saw the last of Saria's smiles, and the first tear stain her cheek.

* * *

A rider and his horse rushed to where many villagers were gathered around the stone stairway that led to Kakariko Village. Many of the women were crying and all the men were gathered and talking with nervous voices.

Link flew off Epona and ran over to the group to see what the matter was. Halfway there, Navi stopped flying to stare at something interesting on the mountain. Link skidded to a halt and tried to wave her into motion.

"Come on Navi! What are you staring at?"

"Link…" she said worriedly, "The village."

Link looked up towards the mountain and saw a great plume of black smoke towering into the sky directly above where the village sat. His eyes grew with fear when he realized the enormity of the catastrophe. If that village burned down, then the rest of the Hylian population was done for.

The hero's tunic instantly turned red with the realization, and he charged into the group of citizens to round up a few brave men.

"Oy! Link!" The archer cried noticing him. "Thank Din! You're just the man we need!"

Without another word, Link and the archer bolted up the stairs to the village. As they entered through the gate, their pace slowed to evaluate the situation.

"Awright boy," the archer said. "Sheik and Impa's got a few good lads workin' on the East side of th' village where there's some people still trapt in their houses."

Link stared at the archer with blazing eyes, "Sheik and Impa are here?"

A small bead of sweat rolled down the archer's forehead, knowing very well Sheik's need for secrecy. He thought about it more, and decided that it wouldn't hurt now that Sheik was openly participating in the village…ever since Impa had showed up, Sheik seemed more than happy to take that mask of his off…

"Hey! Snap out of it!" Link ripped the Archer out of his thought.

"Huh? Um yea…yea the Sheikahs are here…but I 'avent seen Impa since the fire started…"

Link gritted his teeth against his luck. If there was one person who may be willing to give him some answers, or maybe even some help, it was Impa; and now of course, she had to disappear right before Link could reach her.

"Up there!" The archer said pointing up towards the well. "There they are!"

Link and the archer slowed to a halt when they reached a group of badly burned men huddling around the well.

"What's going on here?" The archer demanded, "What are yeh all standin' around here for?"

"Sheik's getting the last of a few people out of the Inn," a bearded man grunted. "But there's still…"

Link surveyed the group of men. Many were just average villagers, most in their mid twenties to thirties, and there was old man on the ground. Link saw that the man was sobbing softly, and that his hands and arms were severely burned.

"What's his problem?" Link asked the men nervously.

"Poor old bloke…" the bearded man said sympathetically, "He nearly burned his arms off trying to get his kids out of Ms. Hakkeda's house and—"

Before he could even finish, Link lunged forward at the man and lifted him up by the collar of his shirt.

"And why are you just doing nothing?!" he demanded.

The man trembled and whimpered when Link's cold eyes pierced the foundations of his courage. He tried to pry Link's hands off, but Link only slammed him against the wall of the windmill stairway.

"We—We tried to get in!" The man managed to say. "But the roof supports caved in over the doorway! That guy tried to get past with his bare hands! We were barely able to pull him away…Miko and the kids are both trapped."

Link threw the man off in disgust and he stared at the other skulking men with hateful eyes.

"If I catch _any_ of you just standing here when I get back…" Link paused to draw his sword and shield. "Then you'll have more things to worry about than the fire!"

Link didn't wait to see if the men listened to him or not, and he sprinted as fast as he could to Ms. Hakkeda's house. As he neared the burning inferno, he picked up speed and raised his shield in front of him. Then, he rammed the door as hard as he could.

The feeble wooden door splintered under the force, but didn't break through. Link hacked the door away with his sword only to see that the doorway was indeed blocked by an impassible barrier of burning timbers.

Desperate for an alternative, Link turned around and hopped over the low fence of the coop. Link looked in between two windows, chose one, and jumped through shield-first.

Link burst into the dining room with a wall of shattered glass and rolled onto the floor; when not a second later, a timber came crashing down and blocked the window he had just come through.

"Miko!" He cried out into the smoke. "It's me, Link! C'mon, where are you?!"

Link fell to his knees to avoid the choking smog and tried calling out to them again. He found a wide-eyed and trembling Miko clutching a boy and a girl under the dining room table. After locating them he breathed a sigh of relief and stood back up. He suddenly noticed that the door to the next room was open with flames licking around the edges of the doorway. Link kicked the table off of them, and it slammed the open door shut, forming a temporary barricade against the fire. Miko shrieked when their protection flew from off of them.

"Don't worry," Link tried to assure them, "I'll get you out off here." He straightened up and looked around the smoking room.

"Somehow…" he added quietly.

The burning timber that had blocked their only escape route presented no present threat, but it would set the other timbers alight soon enough.

The biggest threat now was the smoke, thick and thickening even more. If things didn't turn around for the better, Link, Miko, and the two children would all suffocate.

Link picked a bare spot on the wall where he knew the chicken pen would be on the other side, then struck the wall hard with his sword. To Link's surprise, only a single splinter of wood broke from the wall and landed on the floor. Confused, he picked up the splinter and studied it.

_Ebony…_Navi thought, just as perplexed. _But that means…_

Her thought was interrupted when a loud 'crack' came from the other side of the wall.

"Come on sonny!" the archer said from the other side, "You're going to have t' help me out!"

Link reacted immediately and furiously began hacking the wall away with his Biggy. A minute later there was a rough but big enough opening for the two children to climb through. He lifted each one of them up and forced them through, where they were more carefully received on the other side.

"Awright sonny!" the archer yelled raising a massive axe, "let's make this peephole o' yours bigger!"

Link surveyed the inside of the room. All he could see was smoke, and Miko trembling on the floor. In the other room he heard multiple crashes, probably signifying that the house was collapsing on itself.

"No time," he said angrily.

"Aye! Then what are yeh goin' ta—"

Link forced a bomb snugly between the splinters of the wall. For a second the archer looked at the bomb stupidly, and then backed away nervously.

"Oy, well…I guess I'll uh…leave things in your capable hands then?"

Link snickered and then ran over to Miko on the floor. He swept her up and ran over to the opposite side of the room, where they hid behind his shield.

Link gritted his teeth and Ms. Hakkeda screamed as millions of splinters shot from the wall and rained all over his shield. When the torrent was over, he looked up to find the hole only slightly bigger, and he stood up to plant another explosive. Two bombs later, there was an opening big enough for both of them to exit, and Link carried Miko out to safety.

* * *

"So…how exactly did this fire start in the first place?" Link asked the group of villagers.

Thirty minutes after he rescued Ms. Hakkeda, a sudden and heavy downpour drenched the city and put out all the fires. With the sudden lull came a meeting of all the villagers together to discuss how they would pull through.

"Beats me," said a villager. "All of the houses are made of ebony, metal, or mahogany, and those materials don't burn easily do they?"

"And," piped in another, "long ago a bishop put a spell on the entire village to _prevent_ such a catastrophe that might come from Death Mountain. We were all minding our own business when suddenly all the houses burst into flame. We dont know how to fight fires either because we've had no need to."

"Well we learned today didn't we?" the archer said lumbering into the circle with a wagonload of tools in tow. "We all owe Master Link 'ere a grand thanks. And since she can't do it herself, then the rest of us should at least thank him for saving Ms. Hakkeda."

The villagers murmured in agreement and happily thanked Link for his endeavor. Link flushed a little from the sudden quantity of attention.

"Where is Ms. Hakkeda anyway?" Link asked, trying to put the attention on something else.

"It's a good thing you showed up when you did," A woman said. "You see, Ms. Hakkeda has a terrible fear of fire. She's resting in granny's apothecary. The poor girl's in shock."

"Well, she can't help us _now_ can she?" the archer grunted. "Now if yeh boys aren't too busy sittin' on th' ground, yeh can start rebuilding this place!"

Several men and boys rose begrudgingly to their feet and one-by-one formed a line to take a tool and immediately go to work. A man near Link muttered loudly.

"Humph! Where are those good-for-nothing carpenters when you need them anyway?"

Link swallowed when he remembered his promise to the Master Carpenter. Eventually he would have to rescue the apprentices; but now, there was a more pressing matter at hand.

"Master Link," the man asked, "will you join us?"

Link turned his attention to the well. "No," he said flatly. "I have other business to attend to."

The man sighed heavily, "Alright then…suit yourself…"

Link walked off with a pang of guilt his heart, but it was gone by the time he saw Sheik standing in front of the well. Link's eyes narrowed and he walked slowly up the stairs. As he neared, the skies blackened and a cold wind started to blow. Link halted in his tracks when the sky above Sheik and the well went pitch black.

"Link!" Sheik said suddenly. "Get away from the well!"

Before Link could even react, a dark hand shot out of the well with a bang and blew the well crank hundreds of feet in the air. Link turned to see it crash to the ground, some fifty feet away. His eyes widened and he turned around again to warn Sheik, but failed to form the words when he saw the hand towering meanacingly over the Sheikan. Inevitably, the hand sprung at Sheik like a viper and ensnared him in its sharp clutches. Sheik cried out in agony as the hand tightened around his body, then flung him hard to the ground behind Link. Sheik gave out a brief cry of pain when he hit the ground, then was silent. A normal human's spine would have cracked under the impact, but needless to say, Sheik was anything but human.

Link took a single glance at Sheik's motionless body and feared the worst, but turned back with his weapons to bear the hand of shadows. Strangely though, as Link lunged forward to cut it down, the hand shrank back into the well. Confused, but still cautious, Link edged inch by inch toward the well until he was able to peer over the side. Link's eyes pierced though the darkness but saw nothing. He leaned farther and father over the edge--curiosity threatening to make him fall in the well.

Just as Link was considering climbing down into the well, the shadow suddenly exploded out of the well like lava from Death Mountain. Link was tossed high in the air from the blast, was able to roll backwards when he hit the ground to avoid any damage.

After recovering both his strength and his dignity, Link stood up and found himself surrounded by hundreds of dark little splotches of shadow. Link turned around constantly, and scared off any shadow that dared come near him and Sheik.

Slowly, the puddles moved together and formed a giant wave of darkness that began to move freely about the village. It glided over the ground and houses like silk and snaked in between the screaming villagers, making its way towards the West Gate.

For all that Link could tell, the giant shadow stopped short of the gate and faced Sheik's motionless body threateningly. Predicting catastrophe Link ran up stood protectively in front of Sheik.

"Me first…" Link hissed.

The Shadow paused for the slightest second after the comment, but burst forward and began to close distance with frightening speed. Link flexed his knees and raised his shield before him while charging his sword behind his back--his cold calculating eyes waiting for the right moment.

As the shadow neared closer it seemed to melt into the form of a charging black stallion and sprinted towards the hero. Link's eyes narrowed and he braced himself for the collision.

"Link no!" Sheik yelled, weakly raising his arm.

Like a freight train, the shadow crashed into Link with a sickening crack, and everything went black.

* * *

Kurta, the eldest Kokiri, approached the other children with a look of pure disgust on his face. He and his brothers had to clear their throats very loudly several times before they actually got the other children's attention.

"What in Farore's name do you think you are doing?" He asked them incredulously.

The group of children jumped at the outburst, and scattered immediately. After the children dispersed, Kurta wasn't surprised, but still dismayed to see Mido continuing to peek through Saria's doorway.

Kurta rested a firm hand on Mido's shoulder and spun him around to bear.

"Hey! Who do you think you're messing with?" Mido squawked as Kurta pushed him up against the side of the house.

"We were about to ask you the same question…" Liao replied in a low voice.

With that, Mido suddenly realized who was pinning him against the wall and the two Kokiri behind him. Liao and Marik closed in around him with arms crossed over their chest--completely surrounding Mido, who gulped audibly.

"I know that you're hard of hearing," Kurta said menacingly, "so I'll say it again…what do you think you're doing?"

Mido's eyes narrowed. "What's it to you?"

Kurta's grip on Mido's tunic tightened. "One friend's privacy, and another's reputation!"

Even though he could not over power all three of the Know-It-All's, he was still stronger than Kurta alone, and managed to push him off.

"You can't boss me around!" Mido yelled as Kurta stumbled back.

"But we _can_ give you a lesson you wont soon forget," Marik said threateningly as he and Liao closed in.

Mido's eyes grew and he backed up until his back was once again pinned against Saria's house.

"Listen Mido," Kurta said stepping forward. "We already checked out the Deku Tree and we have proof that it wasn't Link that killed it."

Mido looked at him expectantly, and Kurta withdrew the fangs of a Skulltulla from a pouch at his side. "We found that the Deku Tree was infested with these and other various parasites." Kurta hoped that with the fangs, Mido would fail to see the greater problem at hand.

To his horror though, a smug smile spread across Mido's face. "Heh…" he scoffed, "so what if you have a Skulltulla fang? You could have gotten it anywhere."

"We're not lying—" Marik cut in, sensing trouble.

"That's what _I_ will tell the others," Mido smirked. "And _that's_ what the others will believe. They will think that Link killed the Deku Tree, and then ran off before we could get him." Mido slammed his fist into his other palm to emphasize his point, "And when he comes back, fairyless will get what he deserves."

Kurta stood aghast at Mido's cruelty. "W-Well we have—" he tried to jumpstart his dead defense.

"That's not proof at all!" Mido exploded in triumph, "A mere nest of Skulltullas couldn't kill the Deku Tree! Or, more importantly, how do you suppose they even got _inside_ the Deku Tree eh? The magic barrier prevents such things from happening!"

Kurta gritted his teeth and only glared at Mido. He had severely underestimated Mido's intelligence this time, and because of this he knew that Link and Saria were going to suffer.

"You're being awfully quiet for a Know-It-All," Mido taunted him when he didn't reply. "If you know why then tell me! Prove it!"

Kurta and his brothers lowered their heads slightly and glared at Mido through the strands of their hair. When they were inside the Deku Tree, Kurta and his brothers tried the limits of their knowledge to come up with an explanation for Mido, but they could not.

Kurta desired more than anything to have the answer to the puzzle—to acquire the missing link, for it was the one thing that Kurta did not know.

* * *

A drop of rain spattered Link's forhead but failed to bring him into consciousness. Others were quick to follow as the rain grew heavier and heavier. Link groaned and squinted as the water unceacingly pelted his face. Slowly, he opened his eyes and the world came into focus.

"Thank the goddesses," Sheik sighed. "It looks like you're alright."

"Quite the contrary…" Link muttered sitting up and shaking the fog from his head.

"I'm sorry," Sheik replied. "First-Aid isn't my foray."

"What happened here?" Link asked blearily.

Sheik's eyes began to ember and he helped Link to his feet.

"Many things…" Sheik said walking back over to the well. "But I suppose I owe you somewhat of an explanation…"

Link frowned and looked into the darkness of the well alongside Sheik.

"It happened several years ago," Sheik began. "Impa had returned after years of hiding the princess, only to find the Spirit from the Shadow Temple wreaking havoc in the village. When she learned that her only sister's life was taken by Beast, the vengeance for the village became a savage vendetta, and she was successful in sealing the Phantom in the well."

"Impa had a sister? There were more Sheikahs?" Navi asked curiously, just now popping out of Link's hat.

Sheik's eyes burned with the intent hatred that Link had never seen before. Though he knew virtually nothing about Sheik, Link felt as though he were now staring into the eyes of a different person.

"Yes…" Sheik replied hesitantly, "there were more of us…"

"Then what happened? How did you all die off?"

"We Sheikah are all connected spiritually to the Great Eye of the Sheikah, our guardian deity. However, long before you were even born, our connections with the Eye began to fray, and one-by-one we became mere bodies without a soul. From what we were able to discern, Ganondorf mutated the Eye into a manifestation of evil, and thus we began to deteriorate as a race."

Link's voice hardened. "Then why were you last three seemingly immune?"

Sheik's eyes blazed furiously, and his shaking fists clenched at his sides. "Impa's sister—my mother…she wasn't immune. She lived longer than everyone else, but eventually the Shadow Beast claimed her—both body and soul."

Link waited patiently for the rest, silently but relentlessly pushing for more answers.

"I…I can't tell you how I was spared…" Sheik choked out. "But unlike the rest of us, Impa was immune, and we soon learned that she was the Sage of Shadow."

Link's eyes contracted with the news, and he too began to clench his fists.

"Damn it all…" he muttered.

"When Impa sealed up the spirit, we thought the sage part of her had awakened, and the village would forever be protected from the evil of the well…we were wrong. After years of growing more powerful, the Shadow broke free from the well, and now resides inside the Shadow Temple."

"So has Impa been taken by Ganondorf too?" Link asked contemptuously.

"No…" Sheik said, regaining the calm voice that Link knew. "Impa has once again left to vanquish the Shadow forever."

Sheik leaned in close to Link and spoke with an air of desperation in his voice. "She can't do it alone Link, you have to help her! The beast has grown too strong for even her!"

Link sensed the desperation and decided to take advantage of it.

"I will," he said quietly. "But first I want some answers."

Faster than Link could even draw a breath, Sheik grabbed the collar of Link's tunic and put a foot behind Link's feet. Then with a slight nudge, Sheik pushed Link down on the edge of the well. Link cried out in pain as his shield extended out and failed to protect his back from connecting with the rim of the well. Sheik pushed downward even harder on Link's spine and pressed his blade threateningly against Link's neck.

"You will not blackmail _me _you insolent whelp! You can't just back down! Not after all she's done for me!" Sheik shouted, his eyes threatening to turn Link to ashes.

Link merely stared back, undaunted by the inferno before him.

"Meet me at the Temple of Time," Sheik uttered contemptuously. "From there I will lead you to the Eye of the Sheikah."

Link's eyes narrowed. "What's in it for me?"

"Everything that I stole from you..." Sheik uttered as he let go, and Link tumbled into the darkness.

* * *

_I will dedicate_

_And sacrifice my everything for just a second's worth_

_Of how my story's ending_

_And I wish I could know if the directions that I take_

_And all the choices that I make wont end up all for nothing

* * *

_

_Show me what it's for_

_Make me understand it_

_I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer_

_Is there something more than what I've been handed?_

_I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer

* * *

_

_Help me carry on_

_Assure me that it's ok to use my heart and not my eyes_

_To navigate the darkness_

_Will the ending be ever coming suddenly?_

_Will I ever get to see the ending of my story?

* * *

_

_Show me what it's for_

_Make me understand it_

_I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer_

_Is there something more than what I've been handed?_

_I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer

* * *

_

_So when and how will I know?

* * *

_

_How much further do I have to go?_

_How much longer until I finally know?_

_Because I'm looking and I just cant see what's in front of me_

_In front of me

* * *

_

_Show me what it's for_

_Make me understand it_

_I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer_

_Is there something more than what I've been handed?_

_I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer

* * *

_

Woo! Ok then, sorry about the two little Kokiri bits, but they will play important rolls in the next chapter or so. I really liked the song for this chap, you can decide whether or not it fit, but it applies to both Kurta and Link. The song says it all. Oh yeah, and before I get sued, the song is Crawling in the Dark, by Hoobastank. I completely changed around the cinematic and what happened, but hey, this is fan fiction—we do that…sorry if I dressed Link up to be a little "too chivalrous" (possible?) and if it seemed a little sappy for you guys, but its all part of the bigger part of the story I'm planning. Heh heh heh heh...anyways, thanks lots! R&R!

Oh yea…and about the format…its really not working. Which really, REALLY Bites.

And now for the reviews (sorry I forgot at first)

**Babowonsuni: **Yeah, I went back and colored it up a little more after I re-read it for myself.

**Lizai: **Well…can't say its one of those lol. But you got me there for Bloom. In some parts of LOTR I couldn't tell if he was a girl or not lol.

**Kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: **Cool! = ) I spent an hour arguing with a friend for why Cage was a good name so its good to see that _someone_ agrees with me lol.

**Link, SSB, and Yu-Gi-Oh-Fan: **Yea. I mean, Link really didn't seem like he wanted janitor duty anyway…

**Jerry: **In the story I make Sheik out to be a nija/spy/Sheikah person, carrying 3 items where as Link lumbers around with all that equipment…plus, Link's just a kid after all. ****

**Anthony Bault: **Geh heh, Knil…that's a good one lol.

**Link of Kokiri forest: **YTV eh? I just stick to Adult Swim. Anyways, thanks and I keep em coming, schools gonna be a doozie though…

**JIJ: **Heh heh heh, I told ya = D.


	12. The Last Sanctuary

Disclaimer: I don't own LOZ or any of the Nintendo crap: P

…Course it would be nice if I did….

* * *

Even though the exit was free and open behind him, Link felt as though he were trapped inside the cavernous marble chamber of the Temple of Time. Though the Kokiri did not bother to entangle themselves in religion, Link couldn't help but feel that he must pay a sense of homage to the Temple. The very idea made him uncomfortable to say the least, but when regarding how this place had become a part of his life's purpose, such disobedience would be sacrilege. To be as respectful as he could, Link strode down the isle solemnly, and tried valiantly to admire the many paintings, sculptures, and choir statues that lined the isles parallel to the hundreds of bench seats. By the time he crossed the Pedestal of Light, Link's patience had worn out, and his anxiety reached a new pinnacle—determining that it wasn't his faith bothering him…

Perhaps it was the fact that it was in this very place that his world turned upside down—and that everything he lost here in this place was now suddenly being promised to him again. He thought of what might happen if it were true, and he really could go back. Old ties renewed, kinship restored, love professed, lives saved…he really _could_ be the Hero that his prophesy made him out to be.

Link winced when Time's Scar began burning into his forehand, ripping him from his thought. He stared at the Triforce thoughtfully as it gave a final glow and disappeared.

_I can do all of those things…_he thought. _But, what will it cost me this time?_

With doubts astray, Link continued on towards the Stone Altar and the Chamber of Time beyond.

"Welcome Link…" Sheik said from the shadows as Link passed through the Door of Time. "I didn't think you really believed me."

Link crossed his arms in an almost business-like fashion. "The offer was enough to get me here…but I wonder what the catch is this time."

Sheik's eyes narrowed distastefully. "You think this is some kind of deal?"

Link's cold eyes affirmed the pointless question.

"It's not," Sheik replied. "What you will be able to do is a mere convenience…"

_Convenience? _Link's blood began to boil. "What do you want me to do Sheik?" he said quietly through his teeth.

"In order for you to even survive in the Shadow Temple, you must retrieve the Eye of the Sheikah…more commonly known as the Lens of Truth."

"And where might I find that?"

"In the bottom of Kakariko's well."

Link let go of his restraint. "We were just there!" he shouted, "Why did you drag me here if it was—"

"I'm sure that you noticed that the well was sealed tight at the bottom, did you not?" Sheik interjected.

Link let the anger flood out of him and remembered that certain feature of the well.

Sheik continued. "Though you couldn't have noticed it back then, the well _wasn't_ sealed seven years ago. It was years after you were trapped in the Sacred Realm that Impa came back and sealed the Shadow Beast in the well."

"So are you saying I have to go back in time to find the Lens of Truth?" Link asked.

"Precisely," Sheik replied. "In order to travel backwards in time, return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time. From whence it was taken to bring you forward in time, replacing it will send you back."

Link's face lit up eagerly and his hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword.

"Wait," Sheik stopped him. "There is more. If you return the sword here then you will go back seven years in time to the very second that you withdrew the sword, and all in Hyrule will be as it was."

"So…So I can…" Link was barely able to get any words out, but Sheik proved to be perceptive.

"Yes Link, you can see her…and everyone else."

Sheik paused and took a long look at Link. The hero was standing in the silhouette of light that the chamber's only window cast, where as Sheik was lurking amidst the shadows.

Sheik smiled inwardly. _Is this how it is? Is this what we were really meant to represent?_

Slowly, he closed his eyes and the words took form. "The sun will rise and bring forth its rays of light—it is to which we call a savior and becomes our inspiration to complete the day," Sheik said, "Light gives us warmth; hope, faith, and we come to rely on it in times of despair. These days are filled with Shadow, but here in this Temple, the Light still shines as it once did in those forgotten days. If you ever feel you must escape the dark that surrounds you in this world, then listen, and play the _Prelude to Light_."

Sheik took out his harp and began to play the song, and Link followed soon after. As they played, a warm gleaming light seeped through the Temples windows, restoring everything inside to its long-lost splendor. And as the duet's music faded, so did the light, and the radiance of the Temple as well.

The song had finished, but Link could definitely tell that Sheik wasn't done. A slight pause passed between them as the shadows around Sheik began to grow.

"Where light fails, the shadow lives. It represents everything that light is not and grows ever more as the day bleeds into the night. They are the complete opposites, the two battling sides, and the bitter rivals over time. Light can pierce through and penetrate the dark, but the shadows are patient, and they wait…for _every_ light fades with time. Link, you have been called to the one place where light cannot drive away the shadows, and should you have the courage to venture to the heart of darkness, play the _Nocturne of Shadow_."

Again, Sheik's fingers gently strummed the chords of his harp and from it a beautiful, but foreboding melody came. Link followed along again with his ocarina and steadily, the shadows began to consume them both. When the song ended, the shadows began to shrink back and melt away. Through the apocryphal darkness Link could barely make out the figure of Sheik slowly retreating with the shadows.

"I wont tell you what to do, Link…" Sheik uttered, "but remember that your mission his here, and you must not be occupied with a life that has no future."

With all said, Sheik melted away with the Shadows, and the Light filled the chamber with warmth, and hope.

* * *

Kurtia stared morosely into the fireplace of his house. His eyes delved deep into the heart of the dancing flames, looking for something hidden inside them and yet, he did not know what to look for. It had been six days ever since Link disappeared from the forest, and in the meantime Saria had wandered off into the forest, leaving Kurtia without any source of information. Mido had also socially excluded Kurtia and his brothers when their only crime was defending Link. Inevitably, the burden and blame of this had landed squarely on Kurtia's shoulders, and he came to wonder how long he could carry such responsibility.

Kurtia felt a stinging sensation in his eyes, and he sat up quickly, bringing his gaze away from the fire. Embarrassedly, he rubbed his eyes and walked outside.

"Hey Kurtia!" Marik and Liao ran up to him as soon as exited the house.

Kurtia looked over at them and walked down the earth ramp to meet them.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Saria's in the Sacred Forest Meadow," Marik replied. "Apparently that's where Link and Saria go all the time."

Kurtia's green fairy, Uhai, suddenly spoke up. "Then, were you able to speak to her?"

Liao and Marik exchanged glances.

"Well…not exactly…" Liao said.

"What happened?" Kurtia said dully, half-expecting something like this.

"Well, we had to fight our way past several Mad Scrubs near the sacred meadow, then we came up against an impassible barricade of more scrubs and Deku Babas inside a narrow walkway near there. It was almost like they were trying to guard something…"

"Then how did you know that Saria was in the Sacred Meadow?" Uhai asked suspiciously.

"Things were starting to look bleak for us when all of a sudden a Skull Kid showed up and rescued us," Marik explained. "He brought us to a clearing on the opposite side of the forest and told us: 'not to disturb Saria for any reason whatsoever or else we would be sorry.' I thought he was friendly, but he said it so threateningly it was hard to believe he was on our side."

Kurtia gave both of his brothers a confused look. "Monsters? —_Protecting_ Saria!" He burst incredulously. "What in Farore's name would drive them to do that?"

_Fear…_Uhai thought silently.

Like their Kokiri brethren, the forest fairies shared a system of command among themselves. While Mido was "Boss" of the Kokiri, Uhai presided over all of the good spirits in the forest, including all of the guardian fairies. _Unlike_ their Kokiri brethren however, the guardian fairies carried no power with the social position of their child. It mattered not if it was Mido, Kurtia or Saria that they watched over…Uhai was the leader, and his position was not to be questioned. Uhai was the first fairy the Deku Tree created, and thus, was his "second in command" for many centuries. He was also one of the two fairies that The Great Deku Tree ever created to be skilled in the art of battle. Navi was the other who owned that title. Six days ago, Uhai was both surprised and happy to see her alive after she had been supposedly dead for nearly a decade. He knew that someday Link and Saria would become very important people of the forest, but he knew virtually nothing about the boy, and could not help Kurtia in his plight for knowledge. All Uhai knew was that Navi was watching over the boy, and in time, she would answer all the questions…even some of his own.

"What were you saying Uhai?" Kurtia asked, giving the fairy a sidelong glance.

"Hm? Oh nothing, but do you think the village can do without their fairies for the night?" Uhai asked quietly.

"I…think so…" Kurtia scratched his head. "But why? The last time you held a fairy meeting was—"

"At the start of the Hylian war, yes I know—but there is an urgent matter to discuss."

Kurtia looked at Uhai directly. "Does this have to do anything with—"

"No, I am more concerned with the growing number of monsters in the forest. We must find out how we will protect ourselves now that the Deku Tree is gone," Uhai replied, telling half the truth. "Tell them that we meet tonight in the usual place…"

"Ok then, let's go," Kurtia said walking off.

"Oh, and Kurtia," Uhai said flying in the opposite direction. "Tell them to dress accordingly…"

Confused by the last bit, Kurtia only stared after his guardian as he flew into the forest.

* * *

It was late at night by the time a Kokiri boy sauntered through the long opening at the West end of Kokiri village. Once over the threshold, the boy inhaled the sweet air deeply and released it reluctantly. Everything he knew was just the way he had left it in the village. In this time, there was neither helplessness, nor predators, nor fear. In this time—the time he knew as his childhood, the boy knew he was safe…that he had reached the Last Sanctuary that Hyrule had to offer.

For a moment the glare in the boy's eyes that pierced over the village subsided, and he absorbed the silence and tranquility through his very skin. However, the dimmed light was only momentary. Against the boy's will, images of the future flashed over the serene present with vivid contradiction, inducing his stomach to knot painfully. Valiantly though, the boy ignored the sinking feeling in his gut and stalked silently behind the houses straight to the vine wall.

Time was on his side for once. The boy's mouth almost curled up in the slightest grin at the thick irony—but didn't grin in respect to the enormity of the issue. All the children in the village would be unaware of his presence until the morning—allowing the boy to complete his goal with minimal interference from them.

After climbing the vine wall at the top of the village the boy paused in his path to stop and take a look at the village below. Despite the pride and happiness he felt in looking upon the village, the silence of the village and the forest around him didn't return the favor; but, the boy didn't care—he was home. After a moment of reminiscing, the boy realized that instead of calling back memories, he once again had the power to make them—giving him a great incentive to reach his destination. Calmly, the boy turned his back on the village, and disappeared into the forest.

No boost of morale could have lifted the boy's spirits higher than hearing the bouncy melody he loved echo through the forest as it had always done. As he walked, the boy noted the cheer of the atmosphere and the order (among chaos) of the trees and undergrowth—starkly contrasted against the future he knew.

Soon enough, the boy reached the Sacred Meadow, and at once was confronted by a regimental line of monsters. Without a second's hesitation, his eyes flared furiously and he relentlessly beat them all down until the entrance of the meadow was alight with green and blue flames. The boy was breathing through his teeth and seething with anger as he passed through the gates and came upon yet another picket line of monsters, and he slaughtered them just the same. Moving past and up the steps he was finally confronted by a column of monsters who had barely enough room to move as they were packed together all along down the walk way.

The boy stopped in front of the monsters with his sword and shield at the ready, but instead of hacking them to pieces he stared at them individually, and noted the presence of fear in their eyes.

Presently, the boy sneered at them and laughed coldly—he knew why they were here, and he knew why they were afraid.

"You can't stop me," the boy said icily, withering the monsters with his gaze. "But…you _can _try…" he added, raising his sword.

At once the creatures fled in their idiosyncratic manners. In just a few puffs of smoke, frantic tunneling, and shriveling up, all the monsters in the hall way were gone.

The boy smiled, sheathing his sword and shield and continued on through the hallway as if nothing had happened.

On the stump, Saria finished her song as she always did at this time of the day and prepared herself for another sleepless night. She rested her instrument on her lap, sighed a bit, and tried to force back the empty feeling in her gut—but it won anyway. Against her will, an enormous growl emitted from Saria's stomach—invoking Saria to sigh again in spite of herself.

Suddenly she heard a muffled laugh come from somewhere inside the courtyard. Startled, she stood up, and searched frantically for any sign of life. She had been alone for so long that by now, she almost assumed herself to be the only person on the planet.

Her curiosity reached its pinnacle much sooner than normal and caused her to creep to the narrow walkway and peek around the corner. To her delight and surprise, all of the monsters in the corridor were gone somehow; but, to her disappointment, there was no sign of a person (or what not) that may have done so.

She was just about to return to the village (now that the path was clear), when all of a sudden she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Saria shrieked, jumped like a high-strung cat, and turned around in mid-air; and, again no one was there. Saria then began to wonder if she had indeed gone crazy until someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned around again, slower this time, to meet the grinning face of that one Kokiri boy. In a rush of joy, humiliation, anger, and affection, Saria's face instantly flushed red, and she tackled her assailant.

In the air, Saria was glued to his lips, when hitting the ground her hands seemed uncontrollably compelled to slap his face a few times (no thanks to the blue fairy that was instigating the whole thing…), and by the time he was able to sit up, she was ferociously searching his item pack for food. Finding a bottle full of milk, she satiated her empty stomach, and afterwards was inescapably glued to his lips once more.

"Uh, yeah," Link tried to say between his teeth, "I'm glad to see you too!"

* * *

Deep in the shadows of the forest, a man stood at the edge of a clearing. His arms were crossed and he was leaning up against a tree with his head hanging low into his chest like he was sleeping. The man was tall, and looked strong of build; his face and its features were strong and firm, giving him the appearance of a seasoned warrior with experience that intertwined with wisdom.

The man wore a blue-gray bandana over his mess of hair, but despite this, several dark-green tufts of hair poked out around the sides and rear; and in addition, a short goatee covered his chin. His clothing consisted of a dark gray hunting jacket (open) with its sleeves rolled up to the elbows to reveal leather gauntlets around his wrists. His pants were like any other hunting pants—khaki colored and tucked into his leather boots. The man also wore a single shoulder belt across his chest that was wide enough in the front to pass off as a leather breast shield. Being armed with a short bow on his back, a longbow that rested beside him on the tree trunk, and a pair of dueling swords at his waist, it was needless to say that he was well-versed in many styles of combat.

The man raised his head as a purple-light fairy entered the clearing.

"Right on time…as usual," the man commented with a smirk.

"I make it a point to be punctual," the fairy replied.

The man's smile faded. "I told you to change forms…you should have taken me seriously when you got the message," the man said sternly.

The fairy pouted, "Must we? It's such a hassle—"

"Do it."

The fairy sighed exasperatedly, "As you wish…"

In a brief glare of light, the fairy, known as Srinne, turned into a young, orchid-haired beauty.

"Better?" The fairy asked stiffly.

"Much," Uhai replied with another smirk.

"So what exactly is this about?" Srinne asked.

"You will see," Uhai said. "Let's wait until the others arrive, then I'll explain everything."

One by one, other men and women entered the clearing, each muttering about the drawbacks of their true forms. Soon enough though, Uhai saw that most of the guardians were present.

"Where's Dennel?" Uhai asked absentmindedly, noticing the absence of Saria's guardian.

"'Still held up with Saria in the meadow…he couldn't have gotten our message," a fairy answered.

Uhai sighed and looked up at the moon as the support for his main issue remained out of his reach, and so he abandoned the topic. Nonetheless, he started the meeting.

"I'll bet some of you are wondering why I called a meeting on such a night eh?" he started.

The other fairies nodded in perturbed agreement. It had been long since they were last called to a meeting, and in the meantime each of them had grown fond of the peaceful life. To them a meeting meant one thing…war.

"I want to start by saying that though it may not seem so, our time of peace has ended. From now on, every guardian should be ready to protect their child at any given time."

One of the fairies spoke up in protest. "Wait a minute Uhai, what exactly are we protecting against? The last time you said 'protect,' Gerudos and Hylians alike were invading the forest! And yet, there is nothing here save a few—"

The fairy froze when he met Uhai's threatening glance. Uhai kept his gaze firm on the malevolent guardian, but spoke generally to the group.

"Indeed…a few Deku Babas here, a few Skulltulas there, a few brave Stalfos closing in on the village—nothing that we should be _worried_ about," Uhai listed sarcastically.

The mere mention of the last monster sent a wave of commotion among the fairies.

"Stalfos?" Srinne asked matter-of-factly. "Do you have proof?"

Uhai flashed her a knowing smile and reached behind the tree, withdrawing two unmistakable Stalfos Skulls. The skulls barked at the group, but without their bodies they were harmless. Even still, the entire group made a noticeable step backwards.

Uhai smiled, seeing their reaction. "I found these two brigands camping out in this clearing…this very clearing that has been our sacred Trial Grounds for centuries and is even protected by a barrier, and yet—" Uhai raised the skulls and looked at them individually to emphasize his point. "and yet I find these two abominations lounging around on the grass like it belongs to them."

Srinne opened her mouth to say something argumentative, but nothing came to mind. At length, she sighed again and gave up.

"What do you want _us_ to do about it Uhai?" she asked lowly.

"The fact of the matter is that you _can't _do anything about it," Uhai said crushing the monsters beneath his feet. "What's more important is that we learn why—no, _how_ they are here. Only then can we find away to stop them."

"Well why haven't we yet?" a fairy asked curiously.

"Because I simply don't know—" Uhai answered in a low tone. "Because I simply can't think a way out of this one." The fairies were stunned into silence at the blatant confession of their leader. Never before had Uhai been at a loss for thought, and if there was ever a question, Uhai had the answer.

"Given the circumstances now," Uhai continued, "we can fight and win, but they will grow stronger as the late Deku Tree's aura diminishes. And that itself becomes a new issue for us as well. I knew that when the Deku tree died, monsters would eventually come, but I never dreamed they'd come this soon or this fast. In addition, as guardians of the Kokiri, keepers of the forest, _our_ own strength will fail as the aura of the Deku Tree subsides…"

Srinne, now genuinely interested, stepped forward. "So what can _we_ do to help Uhai?" she asked, "I want to help! Though you are the only real fighter among us, _we_ could handle something like a Skulltulla or a Deku Scrub!"

Some fairies nodded in agreement, while some others smartly remained silent, and Uhai shook his head solemnly.

"That I do not doubt, but there will be more monsters that will grow back their place, stronger than before. You won't be able to keep it up forever."

Srinne looked crestfallen, if only for a moment, when another idea made its way into her head.

"Well then how about you teach us?" she suggested. "We would be so much more safer if we all became battle fairies! We could even become a powerful influence on all of—"

"Don't get to far ahead of yourself Srinne," Uhai interrupted disapprovingly. "The Deku Tree created you excel in that which you were created to do, and _not_ to become something else. I was created to protect the forest at the time of my creation, and eventually I was granted to become a child's guardian as well. The rest of you, on the other hand were only created to ensure the everlasting life of the child that you are bonded to."

Srinne bowed her head in shame, remembering the sacred laws to which she was bound.

"If it were absolutely necessary, you _could _become a battle fairy…but only under the blessing of the Deku Tree. In addition, becoming a Battle Fairy requires the sacrifice of your child's immortality to break the bond between you…I doubt your child would appreciate that," Uhai finished.

"Well then at least teach us some basics!" Srinne practically screamed, "Were no use to our children if we can't protect them in more ways than one!"

Uhai scratched his chin and thought for a moment. "Alright," he said at length, "I suppose it would be prudent for you to have some fighting and healing skills…In fact that was part of the original reason that I had you change forms…"

Uhai was quiet again as he thought of the best way to go about this task. "What we will do tonight is merely patrol the outer perimeter of where the Deku Tree's barrier used to be, and kill any monsters we come upon then work on the monsters from that point into the village…there should be plenty for all of you to get a little experience."

"One problem Uhai," a fairy said suddenly. "We can't handle Stalfos, and yet there were two of them well within the borders of the old barrier. Patrolling the outer perimeter could be dangerous with even _you_ to help us."

Uhai sighed heavily and gave his face a once over with his hand. "I know…but for now that's just a risk we may have to take. Eventually though, they are going to be too numerous to control, and we will have to make our defense in the village itself. It will work for a while…but I'm certain that they will keep coming unless we find out why they are here and where they are coming from…if we can't, we will be forced to fight with our backs against the wall for a long, long time…and at that point we wont be able to find a way out either."

"It will be the end…" Srinne uttered gravely.

The other fairies agreed silently and fearfully packed tightly together in the center of the clearing.

"Here is the deal," Uhai said distastefully, noting the lack of courage in the group. "I can fight a few Stalfos easily, but not an army. We are running out of time, and we will not be able to fight these monsters alone…not without help…"

"You're going to need more than that, love…" a voice responded from the other side of the clearing.

As soon as the soft words reached his ears, Uhai's eyes glinted proudly and the corner of his mouth curled upward.

The eyes of the fairies widened with both joy and surprise as they beheld a gorgeous woman who stepped into the clearing. Her hair was cerulean blue, as were her eyes, which seemed strangely luminescent in the dim light of the clearing. She wore a green tunic that conformed to her hips and waist, tightened by a leather belt, and ended at about halfway to her knees. Underneath, she wore a dark sleeveless jumpsuit whose legs ended just before the bottom of her tunic, and conformed perfectly with her figure. The only armor she wore was just a single breastplate, and two small elliptical steel plates to protect her sides. Finally, the woman was armed with two gut-wrenching short swords that were criss-crossed on her back.

"You're going to need the _right kind_ of help," Navi said correctively.

Uhai's smirk disappeared. "Where have you been Navi? Do you realize at all what you left us to face here?"

Navi's eyes narrowed despondently and she remained silent.

"She knows exactly what she left Uhai, don't think she hasn't learned from her mistakes," Dennel said stepping out from behind her.

The rest of the guardians cocked their heads in confusion, wondering of how Dennel's presence had somehow been unnoticed, and of what he was saying. To an observer, Dennel would appear to be a boy no more than fifteen years old, but he had looked as such since the day he was created. Among the other guardians, Dennel was well known for his bluish-green hair and eyes of cyan than only accentuated his boyish appearance. Save for a yellow ribbon-like cape, Dennel dressed like most Kokiri boys. He crossed his arms and stared resentfully at Uhai.

"I'd think you'd know that more than anyone else," Dennel added.

The eyes of the guardians darted back and forth between Navi, Dennel, and Uhai, eagerly following the conversation but having no idea what the three were talking about.

"Well then," Uhai said assertively. "Where have you been?"

"With Link…through more than you could ever imagine," Navi answered vaugely.

"But what _exactly_ did he go through then?" Uhai demanded vehemently. "I'm certain that Link is key to all that's happening here, but I'm also certain that there is much more to it than just his involvement! Things are changing rapidly for the worse everywhere I look Navi! So by all means, tell me, what was so much more important out there that you would leave us here to die?"

Navi's head bowed slightly and her clenched fists began to tremble. "You have _no_ idea Uhai…" Navi said treacherously, glaring at him through the few strands of hair that covered her eyes.

For the first time in a long time, Uhai sensed a grave and unsettling difference in his friend. Never before had Navi looked at Uhai with such utter contempt, and yet, at him her eyes now reflected a tacit but malevolent rage.

Granted, Uhai was being harsh in his quandary, but nothing he said should have provoked such hostility. In fact, after being dead for a decade, suddenly coming back to life, and in the same setting, run off with a Hylian child without a second's hesitation—Navi should have _expected_ to pay some serious explanation. But needless to say, she seemed a bit 'unprepared' for the questions that Uhai pitched at her.

Uhai wasn't the only one who noticed the drastic change in Navi's attitude though. To the other guardian fairies, Navi was just as much a dependable friend as Uhai was, but now she seemed about as friendly as a slighted Stalfos. It was more than obvious that this was a personal matter between Uhai and Navi, and the other fairies had no intention of getting involved.

"You have _no_ right to pass judgment on me or Link! Not after what…" Navi tried to add, but a single tear faltered her own voice. Suddenly ashamed, her head dropped low and she sank to her knees.

"Everyone," Uhai said, sensing the immediate need for privacy. "This doesn't concern you, go directly to the village and proceed to destroy any monsters there."

The guardians nodded in unison, and in several rapid bursts of light, the fairies turned back to normal and flew out of the clearing.

As soon as the other fairies had left the clearing, Uhai knelt on one knee in front of Navi and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Now," Uhai said gently. "Tell me what this is all about…"

Around them, a slight wind disturbed the sleeping grass, the trees stretched their limbs to hear, the moon hovered high overhead, and young Dennel listened attentively from the shadows.

* * *

"So…that's it?" Saria asked suspiciously.

"Uh-huh," Link said nodding his head. "After I gave the Stones to the Princess, I had to sneak my way out…but I got caught unfortunately."

"They really held you for a few days? They didn't just throw you out?"

"Well…that's because I was caught near the Royal Courtyard…meaning to them that I was near the Princess." Link explained haphazardly.

"And what harm did they think you could do to her?" Saria asked crossing her arms.

Link searched his mind desperately for a believable answer. On the way back to the forest, Navi had repeatedly warned him about telling his story to the world. Since Link now had the ability to travel backwards and forwards in time, he also had the ability to change the future…for better, or for worse. No one would be able predict the consequences should the balance of nature and time be disturbed any further, therefore Navi urged Link to have a since of discretion when revealing his story to anyone. To Link though, any sense of discretion was superfluous. What really mattered to him was Saria's happiness, and so he vowed not to burden her with the fear of their forlorn future.

"Well…I did have a sword and shield with me…" Link said haltingly, then suddenly found a foothold, "And plus, there were some very serious things going on in the castle from what I heard."

Saria raised an eyebrow, but the wariness in her eyes was gone. To be cautious though, Link continued to erase any further doubt.

"Apparently, there is a man called Ganondorf hailing to the King from the West. The Princess however, remains skeptical of the Gerudo because he is the leader of a gang of thieves. In other words, there is much controversy going on in the castle right now, and the last thing the castle security needs is another foreign visitor."

Saria stared at him for a moment afterwards, absorbing in everything she heard. Link smiled inwardly; though he was not much of a liar, he was glad to see himself out of a potentially volatile situation.

"So, when are you going to tell me what _really_ happened?" Saria asked, causing Link to fall off the edge of the stump.

"H-huh? B-but I already—" Link stuttered, taken aback by Saria's sense of truth.

"Oh come now," Saria said disapprovingly, helping him back onto the stump. "You can't lie, so don't."

Link sighed heavily and leaned close to Saria. "Well I'm home now, and we're together again, so that's all that matters right?"

"Again? We've _always_ been together Link…And I was beginning to think you'd left us forever."

"Sorry—I just missed you a lot I suppose." Link said, being quick to fix his mistake.

Saria smiled and said, "Well I'm glad to hear _that_." Then, returning Link's favor, she scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "And I'm glad that you are home," she added softly.

In the weeks since he left the forest, Link had never felt such a sense of calm and serenity that the forest was giving him now. The night air smelled sweet with the scent of the trees and the grass beneath his feet, the wind gently stirred the tops of the trees, and in his arms rested the one person who meant more to him than the world. Slowly, his fatigue began to seize him, and the forest around him blurred and bled into the dark.

"Me too," Link said quietly as he drifted to sleep. "Me too…"

* * *

Some say we're never meant to grow up  
I'm sure they never knew enough  
I know the pressures won't go away  
It's too late

Find out the difference somehow  
It's too late to even have faith  
Don't think things will ever change  
You must be dreaming

Think before you make up your mind  
You don't seem to realize  
I can do this on my own  
And if I fall I'll take it all  
It's so easy after all

Believe me 'cause now's the time to try  
Don't wait, the chance will pass you by  
Time's up to figure it out  
You can't say it's too late

Seems like everything we knew  
Turned out were never even true  
Don't trust, things will never change  
You must be dreaming

Think before you make up your mind  
You don't seem to realize  
I can do this on my own  
And if I fall I'll take it all  
It's so easy after all

Some say we're better off without  
Knowing what life is all about  
I'm sure they'll never realize the way  
It's too late

Somehow it's different everyday  
In some ways it never fades away  
Seems like it's never gonna change  
I must be dreaming

Think before you make up your mind  
You don't seem to realize  
I can do this on my own  
Think before you make up your mind  
You don't seem to realize  
I can do this on my own  
And if I fall I'll take it all  
It's so easy after all

Believe me, it's alright  
It's so easy after all  
Believe me, it's alright  
It's so easy after all

* * *

HA! DONE:panting furiously: OK guys, I owe you a _big_ explanation (bear with me…it's flippin' huge!) so I prepared a list of excuses—I mean, of _reasons_ why this took so freaking long!

Ready?

1) I suffered a major blockage and I kept getting ideas for more in-betweeners (they're will be a lot more than originally planned but unless you want me to cut to the chase, just tell me and I'll scrap 'em, and use them for the sequel……DAMN!)

2) My grandpa died, resulting in a one week, short-notice fly off to the funeral.

3) There was plenty of schoolwork during that week I was gone, including two grueling projects, so I was delayed for about another week while getting that done.

4) SAT's are coming up and I'm busy planning for colleges and scholarships :coughs: not happening :coughs again:

5) I spent a week of rushing through this and two other fanfics, then about another week revising all the mindless drabble in there (still some there too . )

6) I was assigned a grand total of 4 other projects similar to the last over the time I returned and today

7) I bought Halo ) _and _HALO 2 D so I doubt I'll get much done after this.

There's still a real load of bunk that I had delay me but those were the main things…..and on a future note, I'm going to be gone again for another week again to my grandma's house…again…so I wont get much fic stuff done. The sad thing is that I have a whole lot of ideas I think you guys will find interesting and I will have absolutely NO time to get them down on the comp T-T...which is a damn shame…

Ok…now that my mindless drabble is done…(wait for it)…I'll continue with the story explanation and disclaimer. :muses over readers falling out of their chairs:

First of all, if you think that Link may be getting a little to…uh…angry, then I can tone it down a bit lol…but I'll need some criticism first. Also, the little fairy meeting bit in the middle is actually a major thread to something that will happen much, MUCH later (if we ever get there), and as a intro to Navi's history, which I'll get to in the next chapter…the song that follows directly after is Some Say, by Sum 41. Once again, this entire chapter goes off on a wild tangent, but I hope you'll like it. (I'll probably read it all for the first time after I post and find something really odd so prepare for a revision if there is one.)

**UPDATE NOTES: **I really didn't revise the story that much other than putting in a little sequence between Link and Saria in the middle that will make a better lead-up to ch. 13 and 14. Other changes were mostly in Character appearances, so if you read ch 13 before this and found a conflicting sense of medieval fashion (snorts), then it's not there anymore. Any other loose ends have been tied up too (in this chapter at least).

Now, my most esteemed reviewers, whether you've actually read that load of bunk or whether you've skipped to the end…here are you're reviews!

**Anthony Bault: **Geh heh heh…:imitates Link in English accent: "So while you're cracking my back, why don't you just gimme a kiss love?"……lol, Nice.

**Lizai: **Yeah…all you have to really do is look at the official art of Link, then tell Bloom to go play with his dolls. :no offense bloom-lovers:

**Trayne: **YAY! Thanks a lot! A lot of the stuff I do and will do are anime-inspired so look forward to it! )

**Chocopop: **:bows: Sorry I couldn't get it out sooner…everything from now on is most-likely going to be slow too.

**Shion20: **:See reply above: Sry! I'll try!

**Link of Kokiri forest: **Yeah, it _was _another random tangent but I thought I had to dress Link up a little bit more like a "hero"

**Greki: **And so _I_ will thank you three times for your reviews…ready? TY TY TY! Heh, I know all about work in HS so I feel your pain man.


	13. The Flight of the Fallen Angel

Hmmm…I wonder if we can skip it this time :Police cars appear outside:

…ugh…

Disclaimer

* * *

The moon was still high over the village by the time all the monsters were slain inside the village. Though most enemies consisted of Deku Babas and Skullwalltullas, the guardian fairies spent most their time planning how to kill the weeds without getting whacked themselves. Much to Uhai's disappointment, they took a good half hour before they actually did anything, but to his pride and relief, Srinne was proving to be an exceptional commander among them.

Navi and Uhai watched them in silence from atop the cliff over the shop. Uhai had his legs hanging over the edge of the cliff, and Navi sat close him, with her legs folded to the side. Occasionally, they would laugh at a fairy that might have failed his attempt at a Baba, and Srinne who wouldn't let him hear the end of it. For most of the time though, they stayed in respectful silence. Uhai, in respect to Navi for everything she had gone through; and Navi, in respect to herself because there was nothing more to say. It was Uhai, however, who broke the silence first.

"She will make a great leader someday…" Uhai said mentioning to Srinne, doing his best to make some small talk.

"Mm," Navi replied vaguely.

"So…have you ever revealed yourself to Link?"

"No," Navi answered, grateful for the change of pace. "I figured he needed to learn how to swordfight himself."

"You're joking…"

Navi smiled at him.

"Well!" Uhai exclaimed dramatically, "Here is the second and final battle fairy of the Forest and yet she hasn't even revealed her true form to protect her child in even the most dire moments! I say…does she expect she can protect her child as a ball of light with wings? I should hope not!"

The two laughed even more when some guardians below tried attacking a skulltulla in their fairy forms.

"Well then, has it worked?" Uhai wondered aloud.

"Are you kidding?" Navi laughed again. "He may be exceptional in acrobatics, but all he can do are three basic attacks and one energy attack! And, he can't parry either; instead, he relies far too much on his shield to defend himself! Oh sure, he can do combos, and he has a great arsenal of other items and magic attacks, but I wouldn't rely on him to watch your back in a sword fight for anything."

Uhai laughed as well. "And yet he's made it this far without dying eh? Surely he deserves more credit than that."

"If he's made it this far with just his mediocre swordplay, then I think that's credit in itself."

"True, but I think you're missing something…that, or you're being overly modest," Uhai suggested.

All Uhai received for the comment was a blank look from Navi.

"How in the world could he have made it this far without you by his side?" Uhai reiterated.

The cheery demeanor disappeared from Navi's face and was replaced by a melancholy stare down to the village. Uhai blinked, wondering if his compliment had turned out offensive in someway.

"You don't get it Uhai," Navi said languidly. "It's not me that's kept him going…at first I wasn't sure what it was myself, but now I know. When Link went through losing Saria, it was like a part of him died along with her. What took hold of him then was a rage and sorrow in the sense that he couldn't do anything to prevent it…and that he wasn't there for her when she needed him most. When we found Ganondorf was behind all of it, the only thing that Link became was a manifest of Revenge working in the name of good."

"That can't be all," Uhai said dismissively. "He still has the kind heart."

"It may be true that his selfless nature and compassion hasn't changed, but he is still rebuilding his broken heart…"

"The pieces!" Uhai exclaimed in understanding of the metaphor.

"Yes," Navi said, "You could say we've recollected some of them…but there is more that he must find before Time's Scar can fully heal."

"And so you were afraid that coming back here was going to tear him apart again?" Uhai asked.

"I was afraid of leaving," Navi corrected. "The bitter truth is that we will _have _to leave eventually."

"I get it now," Uhai stated. "He's afraid of losing Saria again, to the same thing, in the same way; but this time he has the power to stop it."

"More or less," Navi said, inwardly refusing to let Uhai be completely correct. "But Link fears nothing…I'd say that it hurts him too much; as well as that every second he spends with her now is a constant reminder of what will happen."

Uhai spent a minute contemplating Navi's contradictions between the past and future tense and gave up after awhile. Still curious though, he pressed on.

"How well do you think he has recovered?"

"It's hard to say. Whenever Link's conquered the task of retrieving a fragment of the pure heart, he's had something taken from him in exchange."

"That make's sense," Uhai said. "'To build a house you must supply the wood,' or something like that," he added, quoting a Kokiri proverb.

"If only it were that simple," Navi said. "You see, every time Link's recovered a medallion, he's lost one of his friends from the outside. The first time he may have recovered love, but he lost Saria—the only person he could give it to."

"Oh," Uhai said at a loss for articulacy. "Well…how has he fared since then?"

Navi sighed and continued, "I tried my best for so long to keep his mind off of it, and instead on the task at hand…but then more of his friends from the outside were lost, and his drive for revenge was fueled even more. And on top of it all, we've been led around by the nose by someone who's only been a cause of more grief for Link."

"Sheik?" Uhai asked, recalling the Sheikan from her story.

"Yes…or well…no…" Navi said haltingly.

"Come again?"

Navi was silent for sometime. "Nothing…" she said at length. "Forget it…but at least you know now why Link looks at everyone the way he does. It's not voluntary, but it's a constant reminder to _him_, and his gaze is a warning to all others. It's light has filled the void where the better part of him used to be…he's no longer the person he once was."

Uhai reached over and turned her head towards him with her chin. Though it was an affectionate gesture, Navi found his eyes focused and set—probing into her own.

"That look is in your eyes too…" Uhai declared, almost absentmindedly. "But...it's not because you and Link went through the same ordeal, it's something else…isn't it?"

Navi lifted her chin and turned away from him. Indeed, the fire behind Link's eyes was not Navi's to share. _Her _Scar had been inflicted far before then…and it was the only reason why she looked at Uhai with such anger inside the forest.

"What happened to you?" Uhai asked concernedly, now convinced that the entire story had yet to be told.

Navi bit her lip and was silent for a while, debating with herself whether to burden him with the truth or not. She had walked right into this trap thanks to her renegade emotions, and now she had to get herself out, but she couldn't lie to Uhai. In all respects, Uhai was the one person she could trust with the truth, even if hearing it would pain him for the rest of his life…

* * *

It was nigh midnight when a woman and two men came crashing through the brush of the forest. They were in a blind panic, knowing neither the direction their pounding feet took them, nor the sense to correct their haphazard path. The many forest animals pricked their ears up with interest as they came near, and then fled as the group passed with the likeliness of a stampede. As soon as the three came across a clearing however, they slowed their pace and stopped to rest. The woman instantly collapsed from her fatigue, but the men stood cautious and weary, staring at the surrounding trees…fearing that their assailants may be hiding in any one of the forest's shadows. 

"Do you think we lost them?" One man asked, breathing heavily from his labor.

"No, they were at our heals when we came in here, so they probably aren't far behind us." The other replied, just as tired.

"We haven't much time," the first declared unnecessarily, turning his attention to the woman on the ground. "Milady, are you alright?" he asked, kneeling before her.

"I…I'm fine…I'm just a little tired," The woman lied.

"Aye, and how is your son?" the man asked, mentioning to the bundle of sheets the woman held.

Despite the clear and present danger, the woman smiled when looking down at her child.

"He's sleeping, as always," she answered.

"Then let's let him sleep…" the latter man said. "We may be outnumbered, but this clearing will be an advantageous battleground…let's stay here for now."

"But what of the curse?" the woman asked.

"When the Gerudo's attacked the manse, your husband entrusted you to our care and told us to seek refuge in the forest…I'm sure he had his reasons, and right now I'm not about to betray my lord's trust."

The noble stroked the soft grass and sighed. Indeed, it was not like the bed back in her manse on the plains, but it would do for now. Then without another second's hesitation, she set herself down on the grass, and was instantly asleep.

Both men were clad lightly in Hylian armor to aid their mobility; wearing only a chest plate, thin shoulder plates, and thick leather pads from their waist to their knees. One man was quite young, not nearly twenty years old and seemed a trifle uncomfortable wearing the garb of a soldier. In all fairness, he looked more like a servant boy rather than a bodyguard.

The other, on the contrary, was far older. He had a streak of silver-gray hair running around the back of his head, there were tight wrinkles on the sides of his eyes and his general visage defined him to be nearing his middle-ages. Though he was merely a loyal servant of his Lord's manor, the Hylian Crest scribed on his breastplate put him among the greatest knights in the realm.

The woman on the ground was a maiden of angelic beauty despite her true age. The face of the lord was one that no portrait was worthy to capture, her hair was long and wavy while its color was a brilliant gold; but her most prominent features (could they be seen) were her eyes. Like her infant son, the woman had sapphire eyes more radiant then the fire of the sun and the light of the moon hanging high overhead.

"So, where will we go from here?" the young man asked.

"Does it matter now? We're already lost. Let's not worry ourselves to death before the curse takes us," the older man replied.

The men stood conversing for a while after their noble fell asleep. They spoke common, cheerful talk just to keep their minds off the encroaching doom. Eventually however, the older one of the two paused, sensing something strange around them.

"Wait," he said interrupting their conversation.

"What is it?" The other asked, gripping the hilt of his sword and looking around frantically.

"Those Gerudos couldn't have been more than fifty yards behind us when we _entered _this clearing…and if they were surrounding us this entire time then we would have surely heard them…"

"Perhaps they turned back," the young servant suggested hopefully.

"Nay," answered the elder. "They were determined to see our infant lord on the end of a pike…I do not think they would give up so easily."

"Well…then where are they?"

The older man's eyes scanned the ring of trees that surrounded them, trying in vain to piece together the shapes inside the shadows of the forest.

"I don't know…" he answered in a low voice. "But be on your guard, something's not right."

As if on cue, faint voices of screams began to move and echo through the forest—getting louder and closer as each second passed. The woman awoke instantly and scampered to her feet.

"Wha—what's going on?" She asked in a panicked voice.

The servants drew their weapons and stood protectively in front of their lord. With the situation deteriorating rapidly, the elder servant began looking for any sign of a path or escape route they could follow. In the midst of his search, his eyes beheld a great tree looming over the forest. He gave his full attention to the tree as a precarious thought slowly made its way into his mind, and a smile slowly drew itself across his face. He remembered being able to see that very tree even from the Manse in the southern part of Hyrule Field…thus, he knew it could surely be seen from anywhere inside the forest.

_Ha! "Those who enter wander lost," indeed, _he thought. _At least now we have a way to go…_

The moment's reprieve ended abruptly when a Gerudo suddenly came crashing out of the brush into the clearing. She had no weapons with her, but she still charged the group with flailing arms and screaming an erratic battle cry. The Gerudo lunged at the younger servant as if to tackle him and bring him to the ground, but she didn't get very far. As soon as he sensed she was close enough, the older servant swung his lance about horizontally and shattered the Gerudo's skull.

The Gerudo's body swung around the end of the lance like a rag doll as it threw her over to the side. The Gerudo then crashed to the ground and rolled a bit before laying still—dead from the instant the spear hit her. The group edged near the body slow and cautiously, almost afraid that it might suddenly jump back up and chase them. Before they all realized it though, the three had crowed around the thief curiously and the older man bent down on one knee to examine her.

The Gerudo's pupils were barely visible in the center of their orange irises, which seemed to have already been rolled back in her head. The thief's body also had multiple scars and abrasions, all of which had been inflicted before she attacked the Hylians. The older servant lifted her arm to examine a strange wound that had been placed there. The gash ran up and down her arm, and was nearly as deep as a stab, but the servant was puzzled at the absence of blood that a wound of this magnitude deserved. Delicately, he squeezed the wound and watched the miniscule amount of blood seep out of the gash.

Given the circumstances, the older servant was now convinced that a grooved sword inflicted the wounds. He shuddered to think of the kind of death that awaited him should he be stung by it.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure what we're dealing with here, but apparently there's someone else in this forest besides us and the Gerudos," he said standing back up.

"I don't think that is all the evil at work here," the younger countered, earning blank looks from the both of them. Then, backing up his statement he added, "Just look at her eyes! They were already rolled back in her head when she attacked me! And that is not the face of one who is sane!"

"It's the curse," the older man uttered rhetorically. "Judging from the other screams of terror, I think it's safe to assume that her comrades are suffering the same fate."

"Wait…" the lord said suddenly, grabbing the attention of her two servants. "If this one fell subject to the curse, then why haven't _we_ yet?"

"What a good question," a voice commented, "Why don't you tell _me?_"

The guards spun around on one heel coming face to face with another woman. Instead of being a Gerudo however, this one appeared to be more like a Hylian. The woman had long lustrous blue hair, eyes of the same color and was clad in hunting garb. At her sides she sported two short-swords—both of which were soaked in blood. Instantly, the guards moved into a defensive stance and stood in front of their lordship with every intent to fight to the death.

_Impossible…_the older servant thought. _Not a sound…nothing…_

"Who are you!" the young guard demanded. "Speak now or die!"

The woman snickered at the youth's brave façade. The fear behind his eyes was as plain as day, and his legs were trembling in their stance. Still, the blond haired woman _did_ indeed propose a puzzling dilemma. Unlike the other bandits, who had gone insane the instant they entered the forest—these three Hylians seemed to be different.

"Speak!" the guard yelled again.

In the blink of an eye, the woman sprung forward and threw her arm around the guard's neck. Then with the momentum of her charge, she dragged the servant a few meters away from the group and crossed both of her swords threateningly in front of his throat. The older servant cried out in surprise and stepped forward in order to rescue his comrade but was stopped in his tracks when the assailant flashed him a wicked grin.

"Take one more step and he dies," the woman threatened.

The younger servant cursed through his teeth, having to lift his head up to avoid the edges of the blades, "…_You_…_cowardly bit—!_"

"Call me what you want, and see how far it gets you!" his captor retorted.

Had the situation not been so serious, the pair's heated bickering that followed might have seemed amusing. However, the woman presented a new threat to the Hylians; and the older servant took this time to warn his master.

"Milady, its time you fled with your son into the forest, its too dangerous to stay here." he said.

"B-But where will I go? How will you find me?" the Lady asked in a panicking voice.

"Make your heading for the great tree, we will meet you there…I promise."

The noble lady looked in between the giant tree and her servant with fear pasted on her face; she kept looking back at him, praying for a sign of reconsideration on his face. When she found none, the lord gulped sullenly and then dashed off into the woods without looking back. The older servant then turned around only to see the assailing woman right up in his face. Surprised, he jumped back a few feet and held his lance in a defensive position. His eyes darted around to see what had become of the younger man and found him lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

The older man gritted his teeth and his knuckles pursed white around his lance. Infuriated at his comrade's dishonorable death, he glared at her with a look of savagery that knew no bounds.

"You…you will pay _dearly_ for that!" He hissed.

"We'll see," the woman responded with a grin.

The elder servant lunged towards the woman, roared his battle cry and thrust his lance forward. As his momentum carried him forwards, the man shifted his weight and slightly loosened his grip on the shaft, letting it reel towards her without getting too close himself. The woman narrowly dodged the attack with a reverse pivot, surprised by the skill and agility that the middle-aged man sported. Despite this though, the woman still had time to playfully clap him on the back of the head with the broad part of her sword as he passed.

The servant stumbled forward, appalled and humiliated by the mocking gesture, but was quickly able to regain his footing to swing his lance around horizontally in a quick and powerful sweep. The woman, now unable to move out of the lance's range, was caught hard in the side by the lance, and was tossed to the side by the impact. After somersaulting back on her feet, the woman put some extra distance between herself and the servant, and then delicately clutched her wound. Though the steel plates there protected her ribs and spine from being compromised, the blow had taken all the air out of her lungs, and she knew there would be a ghastly bruise there in the morning.

Breathing heavily and dizzy from the blow, the woman barely noticed the servant charging forward to strike. In the same fashion as before, the older servant lunged forward and let the spear slide forward in his hands until they were nearly at the end. Instead of following through with his charge though, the man halted and pulled the spear back just as the woman pivoted to avoid what she thought was another lunge attack.

The servant snickered inwardly as the woman unwittingly exposed her back to him, and he immediately thrust his spear in for a quick stab. Though the length of the spear aided the servant's strike, the woman was still too far out of reach for the spear to punch deep, resulting in a shallow stab to her left shoulder. The woman screamed in surprise more than agony and instinctively jumped forward, turning around in the air as she did so. The man frowned at the minor wound he inflicted, but immediately withdrew and thrust forward his spear again in another strike. The woman, now prepared, crossed her swords and knelt to block off the blow. The spearhead bounced off the swords harmlessly, but for no sooner than the sparks had flown than the servant followed up with a series of successive jabs with his spear in an attempt to break open the guard.

The woman gritted her teeth as she weathered the storm of sparks and recoil, and used every ounce of her strength to keep her blades together. By the fifth strike however, she felt her wrists giving way and she heard her own swords rattle and grind together as the spear struck them. Desperate, the woman waited until the man thrust again, closed her swords like scissors, and pushed upward as the spearhead passed through them. The point of the lance barely missed the top of the woman's head and was thrown up and away.

The man gasped in utter shock at the woman's luck. Had she lifted the spear even a millisecond later, then her head would have been skewered. Regardless, the woman had thrown him off balance and even now was charging forward to finish him off. A wave of sweat and adrenaline swept over his body as he stumbled backwards and the woman leapt in the air to strike him down. Without thinking, he swung the bottom end of his lance up in a dismal uppercut that missed entirely, and caused him to fall. As he went down though, the sharp point of the spear that ended up behind him drove itself into the ground and left the lance inverted in the air towards the woman. Inevitably, the lance found the woman's abdominal as she descended, and once again knocked all of the air out of her lungs. She dropped off the lance and landed on her feet, but the empty feeling in her gut deprived her legs of strength and she sank to her knees.

The sudden and unexpected turn of events surprised the woman enough that she dropped her swords as she landed. Doubling over on her knees, she gulped the air greedily and tried to breathe out the pain as she did so. The man, still on the ground himself, blinked stupidly at the grunting figure near his feet, wondering if he was the one who actually did that to her. Then, as lucky as it was, the man's eyes fell over his lance and he burst out laughing. Scrambling to his knees, he found one of the woman's swords nearest to hand and picked it up. The woman, now recovered enough to rise to her feet again looked up to see the man retrieve her own weapon.

Now infuriated herself, she grabbed the remaining sword and glared disdainfully at the man, who was still chuckling.

"I think we're even now," the man joked, " a fluke for a fluke, we're square. What say you to that?"

"Give me my sword back," the woman answered venomously, ignoring his question.

The man studied the blade, admiring its perfection and thought for a second whether or not to actually return the sword. If he did so, that would probably mean the end of him. But, on the other hand, though he was skilled in nearly every weapon form, he knew he couldn't fight with a single short sword when his other hand would be empty—doing so would make him constantly unbalanced. The fortunate alternative was that his trusted lance was right beside him. Then, on top of it all, no matter how despicable the woman's tactics were, she was still an opponent worthy of an _honorable_ battle.

"Fine then," he said pitching it at her with all his might, "Take it!"

The woman, expecting the move, ducked; and easily avoided the sword as it passed overhead. Her fears that it was lost to the shadows of the woods were erased when she heard it lodge itself in the trunk of a tree directly behind her. Coming up from the duck, she was about to turn and retrieve her sword; but in the process, her eyes passed over the servant—his lance at the ready and already approaching her slowly. Determined that she wouldn't carelessly expose her back to her opponent again, an interesting strategy came to mind, and she grinned inwardly.

The servant stopped in mid-stride when he saw his opponent move into an awkward stance. The woman had puzzlingly moved her feet one after the other with her front foot pointed forwards and her sword out in front of her with the other hand resting on her hip. The servant knew this form well—it was usually the stance dueling lords chose when wielding a rapier or foil. However, using a short sword in this way would prove to be disastrous. The most she could do in that stance would be to parry any thrusts or jabs from his spear; but if he chose to use any horizontal attack, she would be doomed. Despite all this, the man still approached cautiously, well aware that this could be another trap.

The woman waited until the two weapons were nearly touching each other before she took a step backward, and put her free arm out behind her for balance. Then again, she waited until the two weapons barely tapped each other before taking another step back. The repeated action confused the old servant to the point that he merely advanced every time she backpedaled—wondering if this was a part of some extravagant stratagem, or if she was really backing herself into a corner. The shadows of the woods passed over the woman as she withdrew a final time, and most of her body was enveloped in darkness. Knowing this, the woman casually moved her balancing hand to the hilt of her other sword wedged inside the trunk of the tree behind her…

"I've had enough of this!" The man scoffed impatiently, shifting his weight and thrusting his lance toward her.

The woman laughed and used her front sword to slightly push the lance to the side so it would miss her, and as she did so, she drew her other sword and lunged forward.

The man cried out in surprise when he saw the second blade suddenly conjure out of the darkness, and he backpedaled as the woman ran at him. But inevitably, the woman came to close for his lance to be of any use, and he felt her collide with him. Oddly, it wasn't until the woman withdrew her sword from his stomach, when he felt the life seeping out of his body. The wave of realization was enough to bring him to his knees, leaning on his lance with both hands. He knew the blade had been in his body for too long, and already the cold was beginning to creep on him.

"No…" the man uttered in disbelief. "I won't die like this…" The woman's eyes widened in shock as she witnessed the man clamber slowly to his feet; almost in fear, she took a step backwards and readied herself for whatever the man had left.

"_I won't die a victim!_" he cried, swinging his lance across horizontally with incredible power.

Instinctively, the woman bent over backwards and let the lance streak through the space she had just vacated. Then, as the end of the lance was swung up high in the air, the woman flawlessly set her hands backwards on the ground, threw her legs up and over, and completed the back-flip just as the tip of the spear came crashing down in front of her. Then, without another second's hesitation, the woman ran up the lance while it was still on the ground and administered a passing low-kick to the man's face.

The man twisted around in midair after the kick and nearly fell to his feet, but was somehow able to bring a foot forwards to break his fall and keep upright. Stunned into inaction, the man could only watch as the blurring double-image of his opponent reared and sprinted towards him. With strength on a scale that would impress the gods, the Hylian moved his lance horizontally and stopped one of the woman's swords as it descended upon him. However, continuing on with her momentum, the woman thrust her other sword in, slid it across his side, and then ducked past him.

The man cried in agony as he felt the blade slice open his side and he stumbled forwards, having to lean on his lance for support. He gulped the air greedily and perspiration flowed freely down his face. His mind was now an empty void, unable to command his body now that it was incapacitated by pain. Suddenly though, he felt steel slide across his back, followed by the feeling that his back was on fire. Again he cried out and was knocked forward, but then suddenly knocked the opposite way when a flicker of silver drew itself up his chest and annihilated his armor.

There was nothing he could do. Completely at the mercy of the woman, he only jostled this way and that as she repetitively sliced him open with passing strikes. When the woman finally stopped, the man stood for moment, emitting strangled grunts and gasps; then he fell to one knee, leaning on his lance, and shaking uncontrollably—paralyzed with pain.

From that point on time had seemed to slow down, along with everything else that it involved. The woman merely stood before him, gazing at him with neither contempt nor love. Her expression was devoid of feeling or emotion, but at the same time, it was so full of life and meaning that her countenance became incomprehensible to the man. For the first time since the fight began, the old knight finally took in the woman's appearance for everything that it was. Indeed, she was a young maiden of stunning beauty and obviously had a mind more cunning than that of a fox. Even though she tended to resort to deplorable tactics, he was glad to die by her hand—a hand far more skilled than his own. Satisfied with his opponent, he smiled and accepted his fate.

"Who are you, lass?" The Knight asked, unable to feel the pain it caused him.

"My name is Navi, Guardian of this Forest," the woman answered, stepping forward. "You would do well to remember that name in hell!"

The Knight did not break contact with the woman's eyes, and watched them in admiration until he could see no more.

* * *

Navi frowned as her opponent slouched over and fell to the side after she withdrew her blades. Thoughtfully, she flicked the blood from her swords and sheathed them behind her back. She was about to turn and leave when she suddenly noticed a heart container spring forth from her victim's chest, and float lazily above it. Curious of how such a lowly creature could posses something so extraordinary, she knelt down and began to reach out for it. 

"Leave it Navi," a voice from behind her demanded.

Navi didn't turn to face the voice, but her eye peered towards it from the corner, and she smirked.

"Well, why not? It's my kill," she replied.

"It's not right," the voice retorted, "He fought fair—and you didn't. What right have you to take his heart?"

Contemplating this, Navi sighed and stood back up, leaving the heart container in its rightful place. Then thinking of a rebuttal, Navi grinned again and spun around to face the voice.

"If he had a Heart Container, that probably means he'll become a powerful ghost later—" Navi started to say, but was interrupted by the voice's owner.

"That is a different matter," Uhai said sternly, stepping out of the shadows, "There is a more pressing issue at hand, and we've no time to jest."

"Oh? Is there now? I think I have the problem pretty much solved," Navi replied, mentioning to the corpse on the ground.

Uhai sighed and rubbed his face. Even though guardian fairies knew no fatigue or sleepiness, Navi's zealous and argumentative attitude took much of Uhai's energy to deal with.

"Unless you haven't noticed Navi, hordes of outsiders have been running headlong into the forest nonstop for a couple hours now. They've even begun trying to burn a path into the forest! And what's more, I think they were all after a single person. Who ever it is, I think it best that we find them before the curse does."

Navi cursed under her breath, wondering to herself why she had let the noblewoman slip away. Indeed, from their conversation, Navi had gathered that the woman and the child she carried were the targets of all these outsiders. If these pursuers were being so persistent in their attempts to catch the noble, then that certainly meant that she was probably important in someway or another. Until now though, she hadn't given it much thought.

"Hey, what happened to your back?" Uhai asked suddenly, before Navi could speak.

Navi twisted her neck and torso to allow her a view of the wound, and casually said, "What this? This is nothing."

"Nonsense, I'll wager that it's deeper than you think," Uhai said. "Let me take a look."

Navi's face flushed red, "No, I can go a bit longer like this, let's just keep going."

"Better safe than sorry," came the prudent reply.

Even though forest fairies were immortal alongside their Kokiri brethren, their immortality still did not change the fact that they could be wounded or even killed like those on the outside. For a normal being, a minor wound like Navi's would still be serious, and probably would have incapacitated her if she could feel the effects such a wound would bring. But, as stated before, Guardian Fairies knew no fatigue…and, needless to say, Navi was no exception.

Reluctantly, Navi sat on the ground near Uhai with her back to him and embarrassedly undid the tie at her collar. Then, pulled her tunic down just enough to expose her shoulders. Uhai knelt down and examined the punch in her skin gently. Navi shuddered when his hands touched the puncture, and Uhai smirked. Seeing that Navi felt some twinge of pain after constantly acting like she was better and invincible to all amused him to some degree. After eons of putting up with such an attitude, Uhai always liked to see _some_ proof that ran in contrast to her disguise. Obviously, any such time struck a low blow to Navi's dignity.

Uhai was still in the middle of musing when he suddenly noticed that Navi's skin on her neck was bright red; and he knew her face probably wasn't any different. Whether that her pride was hurt, or that she had to show more skin than she preferred, Navi was embarrassed to a point that Uhai had to take pity on her, and so he tried to continue as seriously as he could.

Gently, he covered the wound with the palm of his hand, and he closed his eyes. Navi breathed a sigh of relief when Uhai's hand began to radiate a healing energy and the wound was healed in a matter of seconds. As much a gift as it was a curse, Navi had the ability to ignore and suppress any pain she encountered in a fight—but due only to her unbridled determination and wanton arrogance.

"There," Uhai said, standing up. "You're better, now let's get moving," he added, changing back to normal.

"Where are we going?" Navi said, also changing forms and flying at top speed to catch up with Uhai.

"Back to the Deku Tree…" Uhai said to her ominously.

"What?" Navi replied confusedly, "Why? The Deku Tree ordered us to kill off the outsiders—"

"I just have a feeling, Navi," Uhai interrupted, "Something isn't right here…"

"Could you be any more vague?"

"Just trust me Navi," Uhai insisted, "Those others that you killed…didn't you feel that they were different from the bigger band of intruders?"

"I did…" Navi affirmed.

"Didn't it seem to you like they were…important? Almost as if their presence was like that of a—"

"Messenger?" Navi volunteered.

"Yeah."

Then, suddenly wondering why Navi caught on so quick, Uhai asked her why she did so, and Navi told him her conclusions as to the purpose of the three 'Hylians' (as they called themselves) intrusion into the forest. Uhai listened earnestly, for he had only witnessed part of the fight between Navi and the Knight, and knew naught of what happened prior to that. As Navi finished though, the final piece of the puzzle slid in place and without another second's hesitation, he burst forward with incredible speed, leaving Navi to eat his dust.

"Hey! Uhai!" Navi shouted after him. "Wait! Where are you going?"

Uhai was deaf to her calls. Focusing on the one thing that drew him forward, Uhai could only pray that he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

The Hylian Noble stumbled on through the brush, now more haphazardly than ever. She knew naught where she went, but nor did she have the sense to care. In her blind panic to escape the Gerudo Redeads, she ran right into the middle of a band of Stalfos—and was wounded gravely before escaping them as well. 

One foot in front of the other, she walked and walked without a single thought, until suddenly, she came upon another great clearing, and finally stopped. For a brief moment, life rekindled itself in her eyes and compelled them to look upwards to the monumental sight that had called her hence. Slowly, the woman limped across the clearing until she was nearly at the great tree's roots, and fell to her knees in a strangely instinctive sense of obeisance. She knew naught what she was doing nor why, but nor did she care—the sense of accomplishment that she was feeling was much more preferable than the pain.

_Blessed am I to see such a warm and welcome guest in these dark and unwelcome times. _A voice said. _Thou hast great courage to visit me._

"'Tis only but a visit," the woman responded sullenly, not at all alarmed from whence the voice came. "For I will part with you very soon."

_Thy heart grieves to hear such words! And thy heart weeps to see such perfection marred by scars. Come hither child, and let my power bear you from your pain. _

"These scars shall not heal," the woman replied.

_Child, _the voice repeated, _Come hither. Thy did not say my power could heal thee scars…._

The woman understood immediately and shakily climbed to her feet, but she took only two steps before her knees buckled and gave way. Before she could hit the ground though, vines and roots from the Great Tree before her reached out and broke her fall.

"I am grateful to you," the woman uttered as a numbing sense came over her body, "and I am at your mercy—as is my son."

_Son?_

"Yes," the woman answered with a weak smile, and for the first time, she loosened her grip on her infant child. It slumbered even still, and the image of her son blurred with tears when vines snaked around it and took it from her weak grasp. She watched as the vines bore her son to the heights in the branches, and let tears of melancholy joy stream freely down her face.

A ray of light from the morning sun then began to arc over the trees and met the clearing with anticipation. Expectantly, the woman turned her head towards the light as it reached her, and presently, she began to fade as the new day's sun began to rise.

* * *

Navi glided into the clearing of the Deku Tree idly, sensing something strange in the air around her. Curiously, she flew in front of the Deku Tree and found it sleeping again. Navi rolled her eyes at this typicality, and presently turned around to find none other than Uhai hovering over a bed of flowers. 

"Rude much?" She asked Uhai with a tint of anger in her voice.

Uhai didn't respond.

"Hey you!" She said zooming over to him, "who do you think you—" she added, and stopped short when she saw what Uhai was so absorbed with.

There, lying in a giant flower-laden leaf of the Deku Tree, was the woman from the outside. Instantly a sudden and unexpected wave of embarrassment and jealousness swept over Navi in the presence of the woman. Being far more beautiful than herself, the woman made Navi feel somewhat inferior…thus, a strong sense of loathing quickly swelled up in her; and, indignantly, she turned away. What was worse—Uhai seemed to be infatuated with the woman.

"So what's your problem?" She asked haughtily.

"She's dead," came the sullen response.

"That's a load of my mind," Navi stated gladly, "saves me the trouble of tracking her down and killing her."

"She died of her wounds from monsters," Uhai said matter-of-factly. "And I still do not see why you were so intent on killing the outsiders when they were obviously special in someway."

"Well because," Navi said with a malicious grin, "the carnage fascinates me."

Uhai groaned. Standing up, Uhai flew past Navi to the Great Deku Tree and tried calling out to it in order to wake it up—but to no avail.

"He's not sleeping," Navi said perplexedly, noticing the difference, "I'd almost say he's meditating over something."

"I know," Uhai affirmed. "I didn't get it either. First a woman dies at his feet, and then he decides to meditate instead of assign clean up duty."

_Uhai, I am awake…_The Deku Tree chimed in.

Uhai jumped about twenty yards when he heard the voice and immediately bowed towards his creator on the ground in a sign of supreme obeisance.

"I—I'm terribly sorry Great Deku Tree, we meant no disrespect! Please forgive us."

"…Oh!" Navi said aloud as the concept hit her, and she too flew to the ground beside Uhai.

_We've not the time to quarrel, my children. _The Deku Tree grumbled. _Uhai, go and summon the children to me—something must be done about the outsider, and nothing of the ordinary will do…_

Navi's face flushed red at the quantity of attention that the outsider had suddenly achieved; however, thanks to her humble position, her face remained hidden. Uhai obeyed the order immediately, and flew to the village as fast as his wings could carry him.

_Navi, come hither—we must speak. _The Deku Tree muttered.

Navi obeyed and flew up to the face of the Deku Tree.

_It has come to my attention Navi, _the Deku Tree began, _That you have been an exceptional guardian of the forest…_

Navi beamed (quite literally) and her blue light glowed a little more radiantly.

And, though the fires of war on the outside have not been fully doused. Today, I sense, marks the end of it.

"Do you mean to say that the war on the outside will soon be over? And that we will have no more intruders?"

_Indeed, _the Deku Tree chuckled, _and so, today I will begin to repair the ravages that the war hath inflicted on our grand forest. It will take time, and much of my power to complete such a task—and thus, I have need of a new caretaker._

Navi's ears pricked up at the mention of a "new caretaker"—as it could only mean that another Kokiri boy or girl was just born; and, _that_ in turn meant that the child would need…….

Navi, the time has come for you to assume the duty of protecting one of my beloved children…

Navi herself jumped back in surprise, and she quickly flew close to the Deku's face to protest.

"B-but my lord, I am in _no way _a-a _parental_ figure! I-I'm not sure that I am ready for such a-an enormous task!" she blurted haphazardly.

_Hmmmmnnmm…._the Deku Tree groaned thoughtfully (synonymous with the creaking of wood).

"P-please…" Navi begged. "I am very much happy with the way I am now…"

The Deku Tree then bore down the subject. Encased in a pod similar to that of a bean, an infant child lay curled up like a seed. The lips of the pod opened before Navi, and she was forced to witness her child's face for the first time. Almost immediately, the child awakened, and stared at Navi with two big, and impossibly beautiful blue eyes.

Navi, I would not ask it of you unless I knew you were not capable, the Deku Tree insisted, all that remains is to pledge your heart and loyalty to the child, and thy will shall be done.

Navi withdrew from the child slowly, as if it were a vicious animal.

"I—I cannot," she said hoarsely.

_Why?_

"B-because," Navi stuttered, "My heart belongs with someone else…"

_Navi, _the Deku Tree growled frighteningly. _Your heart is not yours to give!_

Faster than Navi could even whisper an apology, vines shot out from the Deku Tree's base and ensnared Navi in midair. She cried out in pain and surprise but she dared not struggle against the might of her creator.

_Thou hast great courage to defy my will. _The Deku Tree said angrily. _Thou art the first of my children to disobey me, and thus, thou shalt be the last! Tell me Navi, what gives you the temerity?_

"I'm sorry," she whispered. There was no need now to even tell the Deku Tree the truth—it already knew.

Navi, The Deku Tree said, love is a dangerous emotion for creatures like us to experience. It is a power that can corrupt even a good heart such as yours—and I see that it already has…

As it spoke, the vines of the Deku Tree bore Navi to the great heights of the Tree and tucked her away in the shadows.

Your heart is not yours to give, Navi. The Deku Tree repeated. It is mine to govern, and it is my right to say that your heart belongs with the child of destiny.

"No!"

For ten years thou shall rest in the embrace of death, until the wheel of fate turns, and the Child of Destiny begins his labors. It is then, that thou shall pledge your heart to him, and let thy will be done!

"B-but I love—"

Ere the sun will set, Uhai will hence forth forget all of his feelings for you, and thou shall forever be the only of my children to know unrequited love!

"No!"

Becoming enclosed in the little knothole of the Deku Tree's branch, Navi curled up in fear and tears began to stream down her face. She watched the last of the light the sun brought and the long shadows it cast, as the tree enclosed around her—sealing her in her tomb.

"S-So that's the reason why—? " Uhai choked.

"No," Navi said, almost too casually. "Time's Scar affected me after all that, when I came back to life—when I came back to you…to see if you had indeed forgotten your feelings for me. After all, I had not forgotten my feelings for you…"

Uhai's eyes contracted to the size of needles, and his heart twisted in realization of what he did to Navi.

"Love can't be destroyed Uhai—" she said walking off, "Especially when there's no love to destroy in the first place."

Uhai could only stare after her as she flew into the Lost Woods, and stared after her even still when she had already disappeared. He did not move from his place for long after that, even as the rain began to fall.

_Catch me as I fall  
Say you're here and it's all over now  
Speaking to the atmosphere  
No one's here and I fall into myself  
This truth drives me  
Into madness  
I know I can stop the pain  
If I will it all away_

_Don't turn away  
(Don't give in to the pain)  
Don't try to hide  
(Though they're screaming your name)  
Don't close your eyes  
(God knows what lies behind them)  
Don't turn out the light  
(Never sleep never die)_

_I'm frightened by what I see  
But somehow I know  
That there's much more to come  
Immobilized by my fear  
And soon to be  
Blinded by tears  
I can stop the pain  
If I will it all away_

_Don't turn away  
(Don't give in to the pain)  
Don't try to hide  
(Though they're screaming your name)  
Don't close your eyes  
(God knows what lies behind them)  
Don't turn out the light  
(Never sleep never die)_

_Fallen angels at my feet  
Whispered voices at my ear  
Death before my eyes  
Lying next to me I fear  
She beckons me  
Shall I give in  
Upon my end shall I begin  
Forsaking all I've fallen for  
I rise to meet the end_

_Chorus x3_

_Servatis a pereculum.  
Servatis a maleficum_

_

* * *

_

Hoo DAMN! I'm DONE! I'm sorry that took as long as it did. BUT, I'm glad to say that we've passed a serious milestone here. The core theme of this chapter (Navi's history) was one of my first ideas for this story—and I'm really glad I got around to it! (Ignore the 8000-some words that it took to write it). The Song in this chapter is Whisper, by Evanescence. If you haven't heard it, then I STRONGLY insist that you do after you've read the chapter. Although I'm not so happy with the way I organized the chapter near the end, I'm not in the mood to go back and edit all that stuff…:already went through it like, 8 times: There's also a bunch of stuff that I just omitted because the story was just getting too damn long! Even though, I'll admit they would've lightened the mood for this impossibly angsty chapt! Oh well…I'll try to have the next one up as soon as I can.

P.S. – Junior Year sucks (hard), and Spring Break is a blessing from God….peace out.

Reviews…reviews….

**Lizai: **Yup! I'm hoping this chapter and the ones following it will grab a few more ppl's attention.

**Anthony Bault: **uh…sorry for all the excuses lol. Anyway, were not quite to the Lens of Truth yet, but rest assured, IT, and the Shadow Temple will be particularly juicy.

**Greki: **:major sweatdrop: Uh…sorry for calling you a guy lol, I'm glad we cleared that up '''.

**Chocopop: **:Tear: I'm glad you think so!…If only those SAT sons of bes thought the same way….But yeah, I sympathize with the antipathy towards those writers who are taking up space just because they think it's funny.

**Morgoth the Doomed: **Bringing unique ways of thinking to the table is what I live for.

**kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: **Well they can say what they want to, but it wont change a damn thing ; )

**Zadie VII: **I've heard of those porcelain Ocarinas…but they're like 40 in the U.S!

**Trayne: **:chibi hug: No one's ever made me waffles before! TY! And yes, stories (whether fanfiction or not) should ALWAYS be handled with care before flying off the bat.

And last but certainly not least, I have a special reply to **Azakrel's **thought out judgement. WARNING, THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME MILD SPOILERS FOR THE STORY AND BEYOND, IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED, SKIP THIS, AND HEAD FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE!

**Azakrel: **Ok, while my original response to the "weight ratios" was a joke, I actually had in mind the factor of being able to change the size and shape of an object without direct physical interference. The Theory? Alchemy. Alchemy was a supposed type of chemistry said to be able to take a specified mass of one material and change it into a different type of material with the same mass. While in the middle ages, doing so required a kind of "potion" or third party reactant in order for the change to take place. In all actuality, some of these rumored "alchemists" were found to have poured a corrosive solution over a brick of lead-plated gold. The father of alchemy however (I forget his actual name) was much different. For his entire life, he was involved with developing a way to use alchemy to explain all of the unexplained—to put a singular object in place of the infinite unknown void. We currently refer to this object today as the Mythological Philosopher's Stone. While there is no proof it actually existed, we "use" the philosopher's stone to simply put a hold on the unprecedented, and dismiss it as "we may never know." Legend has it however, that the Father of Alchemy was successful in creating a physical philosopher's stone, and was said to henceforth be immortal. As you can imagine, Alchemy blatantly defies gods laws (of creation I think) and so he was hunted out. However, much, much later, when mankind wanted answers—they dug up his tomb—and found it empty. Now, in terms of applying alchemy to the Legend of Zelda as a metaphysical exercise—I beg of the willing suspension of disbelief on part of the readers. As an example of how it works Think of the Japanese folktale of Son Goku and his Nuygyen (sp?) Bö. The sacred staff was said to have been able to change its size and length at it's owner's command without loosing density or structural integrity. I have made the Master Sword and the Biggoron Sword in pretty much the same contextsave for perhaps "summoning" wasn't exactly the right word.

In terms of the Master Sword's Power…you pretty much hit the nail on the head. The theme of Time's Scar focuses around Link's "broken heart." As he goes along his quest, Link obtains the Medalions of the Sages—contributing to his strength. What he also gains is a "piece" of his broken heart—the affinity of the human heart (though they are elves) to which a sage presides. These pieces are in all actuality feelings that define the "good" side of a person. Love, Friendship, Faith, Hope, and Trust. Their relation to the story and the sages will become obvious.

Now, it is my belief that the source of all of mankind's qualities comes from none other than Courage (think about it and you'll agree). While I believe that the source of all evil is desire—human nature; the game makes out the Triforce of Power. Wisdom, the third and final—is the border line between good and evil. Wisdom (as far as it can extend within one being) can lead a person to either the light or darkside. You'll see constant reference to this theme from here on out.

So basically, Link is not yet complete. He has the Triforce of Courage—therefore he can obtain these pieces…however, he must fully heal time's scar before he can face the bitter rival of Power. In the case that he has his heart healed, and the power of the sages alongside it, the battle of good and evil no longer becomes an eternal draw—instead, Link wins.

( I realize that was kind of haphazardly explained but there's really no way to organize all that…)

As for the Song, Time's Scar…yes I was aware of that. It was the inspiration for the story (though I've never played Chrono Cross) with the original plot line telling more about Link's journey home and he telling his story to his friends………….obviously, it has changed a lot since then.

And as for the Volvagia thing, I had no idea, I wasn't even aware that there was a L.O.Z manga out there.

Now, just because I cant control myself, I've included a small epilogue to this chapter…enjoy!

* * *

It was midnight again when the knight's soul began to feel the cold touch of the curse creeping up on him amidst the icy embrace of death. Slowly, his ghost arose with its heart still in place, and became a lost soul of the forest. 

For sometime the knight wandered among the shadows of the woods—scorning the Stalfos that beckoned him to join their ranks, and casting them all down as he happened upon them.

The ghost knew naught a thought—save that it was different from the other spirits of the forest. It was a product of the evil chains the curse put upon it, and the pure heart the ghost contained that refused to succumb to the darkness.

Soon enough, the ghost stumbled upon a great temple in the midst of the forest, and was intrigued by its majesty. Being greeted by four guardian sisters that resided there, the ghost became a phantom of good will and strength to cast aside all those creatures whose temerity brought them to the Temple's Walls. For years, the phantom was—happy—if it could ever feel such a thing.

It, and the four sisters protected the Sacred Grounds for the years to come…but not forever.

One day, a man from the outside breached the Temple's walls, and defeated the Phantom knight without the slightest bit of effort. The phantom watched as the man corrupted and mutated the sisters into ghosts different from himself. Then, kneeling before the Dark King, the Phantom felt the impalpable evil surge through his soul, and seal away the frantic voice of his heart.

Then, the Phantom became corrupted itself, and assumed the appearance of its benefactor—with his trusted lance in hand…ready to kill the very child he once fought so hard to protect.


	14. No Home For A Hero

Dennel shot out of the woods and hovered hesitantly on top of the cliff. He looked nervously out onto the village for a plausible route into the Lost Woods on the opposite side. Despite the fact that all the children were still asleep, their guardians were not, and would definitely try to stop him to answer some questions of their own. Even though they were respectful of Uhai's wish for privacy, the forest fairies tended to indulge in their curiosity, and all the while spreading rumors was an engaging form of entertainment. 

With this in mind, Dennel plotted an inconspicuous and casual course through the village to the Lost Woods. After putting on an equally casual and indifferent face, Dennel started down into the village. His going was slow—as was the plan, and it gave him time to think about what had transpired. Indeed, after hearing Navi's story from the clearing, Dennel had been unable to resist eavesdropping on the two while they were on the cliff. Obviously, he now had more than what he originally bargained for.

_What am I going to say to Saria? _Dennel asked himself. _Or will I ever be able to even tell her? _

No one needed to tell Dennel of the responsibility that the now carried—after Navi's story, the responsibility of knowing the truth was something he knew he couldn't drop. However, despite being aware of this new burden he carried he still didn't know what would happen if he _did _drop it. Unlike Navi, Dennel was uneducated in the flow of time and its consequences. He could not begin to comprehend the ramifications should Link prevent the inevitable. But, granted he knew that the truth wasn't something to be taken lightly, he decided to stay quiet for the time being…until Link was ready to tell the truth himself.

_But I wonder, _Dennel thought, _what he thinks he'll change by lying… _

* * *

"Link?" someone said.

Link sat up and rubbed his eyes—clearing away the blur to see Navi hovering in front of him.

"What? What is it?" he asked, yawning as he did so.

"The time!" Navi practically yelled. "You've been snoozing all day! It's about time you start walking among the living."

Link looked at her with a confused face and looked up to where the sun was indeed straight above him.

"I must have been tired…" Link said absentmindedly, still shaking away some of the grog.

"Well," Navi sighed casually, "I don't see how running across a field for three days on end could make anyone tired…I just think you're getting lazy."

"Alright! I'm up!" Link groaned.

"Well, imagine that…" Navi said with a slight snicker. "I swear of all the things I've been through, getting you out of bed has to be the _worst_."

Link was about to comment on her unusual quantity of sarcasm, but stopped when he remembered the first time they met, and several other instances where sleeping in the middle of a road wasn't the brightest idea.

"…I _really_ hate it when you do that…" Link said after awhile.

Navi giggled and flew into his hat.

"Wait a sec…" Link said suddenly, "Where's Saria?"

"She went to the village already," Navi explained, "She didn't want to wake you because you were actually sleeping well this time."

"Huh…" Link thought aloud. He couldn't argue with that one either. For the first time in a long time, Link was able to sleep without a plague of nightmares haunting his dreams.

"Well then," Link said, standing up and putting all of his gear on. "Lets go."

Link's walk through the village wasn't exactly a pleasant one at all. Everywhere he went children stared at him with looks of suspicion, confusion, awe, and even fear. Naturally, Link had no idea why, but he would pay the Know-It-All's a visit to sort it out. But still, they were bound to have some questions and before Link wanted to know anything he knew he'd have to answer to Kurtia first.

Link sighed once and decided to worry about it later…first, he'd get something to eat.

* * *

"…Are you positive?" Saria asked from her bed. 

Saria had been in her house with Arisa ever since she came back to the village; and, in that time, learned of Mido's devious rumors of Link that had spread relentlessly from one side of the forest to the other. Saria was sitting up on her bed, and Arisa was busy at the stove again trying to prepare a second batch of lunch without having to pitch it out the window.

"I'm positive," Arisa affirmed, dicing up some vegetables. "And honestly, Saria," she added, "I don't know what to think anymore."

"But…the Know-It-All's they surely must have—"

"They tried," came the interruptive reply. "But Mido somehow proved them wrong."

Saria had trouble believing that.

"They told me that all they accomplished was to ask an unanswerable question—Mido obviously took advantage of the doubt and fed his rumors to the village. And so I'm confused…" Arisa continued, scraping the vegetables into a pot.

Saria was quiet—not liking her friend's lack of loyalty.

"The question is this: How did the Deku Tree die? …Mido says Link did it—the Kurtia brothers said he tried to save it, but it was already too late. The second question is: How did the Deku Tree get filled with all those monsters anyway? After all, we've witnessed The Deku Tree's actual power before, and there's a barrier around the village that prevents monsters from getting in…"

Saria tried closing her ears, but it was too late now that such ideas were now introduced; so inevitably, her mind started racing and jumping to conclusions. Fortunately, it was Arisa's word that ended the confusion.

"And so here we are…most of the others believe Mido. But some, including the Know-It-All's, are still skeptical, and then there's me in the middle," she said, "No matter how you look at it, there's no way to prove either one wrong…"

Saria was satisfied with the latter statement, and she didn't get to think about it any longer anyway, as Link himself suddenly knocked on the side of the doorway.

"Hiya, girls," he greeted. "It smells good in here. So, what have you cooked up this time, Arisa?"

Arisa pasted a fake smile on her face.

"Oh-h-h," she said playfully, "nothing that you won't be able to swallow…"

* * *

Later that day, after his strangely uneasy breakfast/lunch with Arisa, Link wandered back to his house for the first time after what seemed like (in one reality) several months but what was really only (in another reality) a week. There, he straightened everything up (though he didn't need to) and updated his personal record sheet.

When everything was done (that is, when Link couldn't think of anything else that needed to be done) he stood in the middle of his room for a moment and sighed half-heartedly, and half-spiritedly.

"Link…" Navi tried saying something sympathetic, but failed.

"You don't have to worry, Navi," Link said, sitting on his bed. "I feel great…"

"Link," Navi started again, this time with a reprimanding tone, "You…you cant live like this anymore…you cant expect to live the rest of your life as a Kokiri!"

Link didn't respond.

"We don't belong here anymore…" Navi forced out, "you know that…you know that we're both—"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence." Link demanded with an icy stare.

"Link…"

"Don't!"

Navi gave up, and bowed her head shamefully, then reluctantly perched herself on top of Link's hat. The two then sat in silence for a while—having nothing interesting to do. Link was about to nod off when he suddenly heard someone climbing his ladder. Link sat up to see Kurtia and his brothers clamber onto his platform and walk into house.

"Alright Link, I'll scrap the small talk because we're short in time," Kurtia said, "What in Farore's name happened last week?"

"And, tell us everything you know about what happened to the Deku Tree!" Marik chimed in.

"Oh, and make it fast…you'll want to…" Liao added nervously.

_I wish we could tell them…_Navi thought along to Link. _But we can't…not until I'm sure that… _

"Well?" Kurtia asked expectantly, interrupting their thought.

Link decided to gamble. "Well…I wish I could tell you guys, but I can't…" he said, mimicking Navi. "All you need to know is that you're right, and that what I'm dealing with on the outside is bigger than anyone could comprehend. There's no use in explaining because even _your _logic and knowledge couldn't understand it."

Kurtia lowered his head, as did his brothers.

"I was afraid of that…" he said sullenly.

Link looked at him questioningly, but Kurtia did not answer or raise his head for some time. At length, he sat himself down on Link's center table and began to explain the events that had transpired in the same manner Arisa had.

When he was finished, Kurtia looked up to find Link simply staring back at him with an almost bored expression on his face.

"Is that all?" Link asked.

Kurtia looked at Link with his mouth open for a moment then sputtered, "W-Well…doesn't it…y'know, _bother _you?"

Link grinned. "It bothers me just as much as calling me 'fairyless' when I have Navi around."

Navi beamed (several colors), being exceptionally proud of her partner; but Kurtia, on the contrary, swallowed nervously.

"This is nothing that I've already been through, Kurtia," Link continued, "For my whole life I was left out of everything because I was different. I never really belonged here in the first place…If I'm an outcast again, so be it…"

"Well then, Link, I'm sorry…" Kurtia said walking out onto Link's balcony. "But there's something you should see…"

Link joined Kurtia on the balcony and looked out to where a crowd of children was slowly marching through the village, rounding up new members and growing larger everywhere it goes.

"Leave it to children to be so naïve…" Uhai said contemptuously. "Those children are out for your blood Link." He explained.

"I've asked those who still believe in you to rally to our cause—" Kurtia started saying, but before he could finish, Link grabbed the collar of his tunic and held Kurtia close to his face.

"Our _cause?_ Do you mean to start some kind of civil war? Do you mean to fight your own brethren just because you want to protect my reputation?" The almost forgotten light slowly re-kindled itself in Link's eyes and paralyzed Kurtia with fear.

"If I fight them I'll _kill them all! _They're no match for Navi or me, and I have no wish to become the enemy they think I am!"

Kurtia pushed himself away from Link and gave an emotionless smile.

"That's just like you, Link…selfless, and putting everyone before yourself…I just don't understand the way you think. But, if you feel that way," Kurtia paused to step aside from the ladder, "then its up to you to solve this mess."

Link eyed Mido at the head of the mob, slowly making his way towards Link's tree house.

"Yes," Link agreed coldly, "it is."

Mido halted the group just short of Link's tree house and marched to the ladder's base as heroically as he could. Then, hailed Link like a besieger to a fortress.

"Link! You have a lot of guts showing your face here again after what you've—" Mido began.

"Is there something you want to tell me Mido?" Link interrupted rudely.

Mido became a little flustered at the interruption…just when it was starting to get good too.

"Do you admit to killing the—"

"Oh, so you want to _ask _me something then!" Link exclaimed, "I almost thought you might have been jumping to conclusions…again."

Mido gritted his teeth.

"Come, out with it then. You're wasting the others' time."

"YOU KILLED THE DEKU—!"

"I thought you wanted to ASK me something, Mido!"

"Oh, THAT'S IT!" Mido screamed, "C'mon everyone! Let's chop his house down!"

The crowd screamed back a cry of approval and surged forward. However, Link quickly jumped down from his balcony and stood protectively in front of his home. As soon as they saw him, the entire crowd stopped short for a moment, wondering if Link would actually fight them. Then, slowly, Link drew his sword and shield—right in front of all of them, and bowed his head.

The crowd took a fearful step backwards in unison.

"Beat it, or I beat you…" Link hissed, and the crowd instantly scattered in every direction. Everyone was gone, except Mido, who stood with shaking legs in the middle of the vacated area. Link sheathed his sword and shield and walked up to Mido to confront him.

"Mido, I've never liked you…did you know that?" Link asked rhetorically with his head lowered.

Mido whimpered inaudibly.

"I also really don't like it when you lie about me…or call me names…"

Mido swallowed again, and was (amazingly) able to backup a little.

"and I really, _really _don't like it when you bring a mob of my friends to dispose of me and my home," Link said bringing his head up just enough to allow a single eye a straight shot at Mido, and stepping forward to catch up with Mido's retreat. As soon as Link took his first step, however, Mido tripped and fell on the ground.

"It almost makes me want to do something about it…" Link said with an ominous smile.

Then, with the power of the Goron's Bracelet, Link picked Mido off the ground and turned him around in the air; and, after dropping him from the modest height, Link administered a quick and severe boot to Mido's posterior, and sent him reeling and crying across the village. Later that day, after he thought it was safe to come out, Mido was found near the stream cleaning out his (shorts) tunic.

After the punt, Kurtia, Marik, and Liao all threw their hands up in an approving guesture of applause, and roared with a series of complements and mutual feelings for the game ball. Liao even went inside to record the yardage on Link's personal record sheet.

The three brothers then jumped down to congratulate Link personally. However, Link didn't seem in a celebratory mood at all. As soon as Kurtia was near him, Link turned his back and began walking to the West Entrance.

"Hey, don't be like that," Kurtia said, "We're on _your _side, remember?"

"It doesn't matter how many friends I have…it's better not to have friends…" came the sullen and reluctant reply.

"That's mad talk there, Link," Marik said, "Whether you like it or not, _we _will always see you as a friend."

"I'm afraid none of that really matters now…" Link rebutted.

"How so?" Liao asked (now that it was his turn).

"Haven't you guys figured out that one?" Link asked with an unexpected chuckle.

All four of them stopped walking at the same time. Link, muddling in his inner turmoil, and the Know-It-All's stewing in their own confusion.

"What are you talking--?" Kurtia started.

"Don't you guys remember?" Link asked incredulously, "I told you that all my life, all I wanted to be was one of you. For so long I felt like I never belonged here…I was an outcast only because I was _unique_."

"Link…" Uhai suddenly popped out of Kurtia's hat at that last word.

"I even wanted to _find _that place I could call home. I felt like I could run away to a place where people could accept me for what I was!" Link was quiet for a moment after that, but it was clear that he was not finished.

"And then…I got the chance," he continued, staring fondly at Navi. "I went off on an adventure to save the world and learn who I really was! And you know what? –I found out, the hard way. Just when I thought I could do it all, just when I thought myself a 'hero,' _just when I thought I knew who I was…_I didn't."

Link turned to face them with watering eyes.

"I learned that there was a bigger picture behind my foolish ideal crusade. I learned that there was no place for me out there…and that's when I thought I could call this place home again…"

"BUT YOU _CAN_ LINK!" Kurtia practically screamed.

"No I really can't…" Link said with a heartless smile. "You see…Mido's got a lot more guts than you think. In a few weeks (give or take), he'll be ranting about how I savagely attacked all the children and him. And they'll buy it…because they don't know what else to think, and I really _did_ give them quite a scare, didn't I?"

"But we can help you with that!" Marik exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Just like you helped me in the Who-Killed-the-Deku-Tree case? Yeah…thanks…"

Marik and Liao stared at the ground and kicked their heels, but Kurtia on the other hand, got angry.

"We tried our best!" he shouted, "but we couldn't figure it…out…"

An annoyed glance from Link caused Kurtia to trail off, and he remembered Link's lecture on understanding the incomprehensible.

"Lets not go there again, Kurtia." Link said flatly.

"Well, then where are you going, Link?" Kurtia asked.

"Away…for a long time," Link answered, turning again to walk to the entrance. "It's time I found my _real _place in the world."

The brothers didn't bother to follow him. They were smart enough to realize that there wasn't any way to convince him to stay—no matter how much they didn't like to admit it. And as soon as Link had disappeared through the log opening, the three brothers turned began walking towards their own home, and speculated on Link's sudden change in attitude.

"Why do you think he acts like that?" Liao asked, and then added, "before Navi came, he _never _acted like that."

"I don't think he's that much different than what he used to be," Marik countered. "He's the same selfless, nice, and most generous person in this forest besides Saria."

"I think…" Kurtia started, then trailed off—revising his conjecture, "I think it's because Navi and Link are somewhat similar…"

_Indeed, _Uhai thought, _they, along with Saria, are the only _unique_ people in this forest…_

Then, after dawning on a precarious thought about Navi, Uhai shut himself up.

"But what about his personality? It's totally changed! The way he acts is so weird y'know?" Liao challenged, then struggled to define Link's attitude. "It's like he's…its like he's a…"

"It's like he's an adult…" Uhai finished for him.

"Uh…yeah…whatever _that _is. I guess we'll go with that…" Kurtia said, eyeing his guardian suspiciously.

Uhai grinned. _Leave it to children to be so naïve…_he thought, and then laughed to himself for the rest of the day.

* * *

"So you're leaving without saying goodbye again eh?" Saria asked as Link passed her—causing him to trip over one of the bridge planks. 

"Oh…hi there, Saria," Link said into the wood board.

Saria helped him up and dusted him off.

"Could you at least tell me when you'd be back?" She asked.

"Seven years and one day late," Link said under his breath, but Saria heard it anyway.

"You don't mean that…"

"Of course not."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Link…you didn't deserve to be treated like that…" Saria said sympathetically.

"I told Kurtia that it was nothing that I'm already used to," Link responded unnervingly.

"That's another lie!" Saria rebuked, "You were always so nice to them! And now they chased you out of your own home!"

Link lowered his head and spoke softly, "That may be true…but that doesn't change or justify what they did. So, I think it's time I left for—"

"For good? Forever? Are you just going to run away? You never used to be afraid of anything!"

Link raised his head defiantly, "I am _not _afraid," he protested. "But they will not let me back in until they regret what they've done…and there's really no reason for them to regret their actions, because I have no proof of my innocence."

Saria's eyes began to water and Link stepped forward to comfort her, but he was not done relaying the bitter truth.

"Saria, Link said, lifting her chin affectionately. "I have to leave until they forget about me…"

"But…but what about me?" Saria sobbed, "I want you here with me…"

Link's heart jumped into his throat and he swallowed it back down—thinking in vain of a way to answer her.

_Link, _Dennel thought privately along to Link. _Although you're heart is that of a Kokiri, you aren't. You're part of a bigger picture that doesn't include your relationship with Saria…you have a duty to fulfill—so do it. _

Link looked up at Dennel with wide and astounded eyes.

Don't worry, your secret's safe with me…at least until you tell her the truth, then I'll help you.

With that, Link returned his gaze to Saria's. It was another moment of impatient cradling on Saria's part before Link found the words he needed to tell her.

"Saria, there is much I wish to tell you, and there is much that you should know—but I will only tell you little, and that will be more than enough," Link began.

"I don't understand, Link…" Saria said nervously.

"I only wish to tell you little because it will only bring you grief…"

Saria stared at him questioningly.

"And all you need to know is that I have a duty to perform—one that's caused me pain time and time again, but…I can't break away—it's become a part of my life," Link paused and then went on, "this duty, has already taken you away from me—taken you to a place whence I cannot find nor follow."

"I still don't—" Saria tried saying, but Link cradled her hands in his pleadingly.

"In time you'll understand. And when that time comes, you'll wonder why I chose to leave—you'll wonder why I did this so callously…but please just know that it was never my choice…"

Link then embraced her and kissed her affectionately. Saria, still bewildered from all the senselessness that Link was spewing, only stood there as Link drew away.

"But, I'll be back to save you…I promise…" Link said at last, and then darted through the log opening.

From the other side of the opening Saria thought she heard the notes of a strange song, unfamiliar to her, and a dim burst of yellow light—then everything was quiet.

"Saria," Dennel said after he knew the two were gone, "I think there's something you should know…"

On the way to Kakariko from the Temple of Time, Navi was silent in respect to Link, and Link only. He had come to the Forest, vowing not to do what he inevitably ended up doing to Saria—and he knew it.

"Afraid of doing the same thing over again, in the same way, only this time, he has the power to stop it…" Navi remembered Uhai's words clearly, and indeed he was right save for the fact that Link wasn't afraid at all when he did it, nor did he fear the consequences, Link just did what he had to do—what he was meant to do…

Link had left Saria to face her destiny, alone.

* * *

WOOT! I really took my sweet time with this, didn't I? Geh, sorry bout that. 

Yes, it's shorter, and thank god it is. Although I must say, for being one of my core ideas, I really didn't like the way this turned out. Once again, I think I made Link either a little angry…or a little too unemotional (he'll want a second opinion for that)…in either case, I'm sending Link to an anger management school complete with psychiatric care (too bad its in France) …Coughs …

In the process of making this one I also stepped up on my other (nearly abandoned) fics, so I think I'll finish them (their current chapters) before I move back to this one. I had a song for this one, but now that I'm finished I don't know where to put it because it doesn't fit as well as it needs to in any part of the chapter. If you see a song in here later on, that means I updated the chapter. The song (should be) is Page Avenue, by Story of the Year.

Also, I really just wanted to get this up and running so I really haven't looked over or revised much of any of this—expect an update with some minor changes.

And, now for reviews. (hope I don't miss anyone)

* * *

**Tizami: **Thanks much! True, I really wanted to put a unique twist on Navi, and unique is a word you'll be seeing a lot with her later on. 

**Kat-: **Yes, this is definitely more convenient. But, I don't mind typing out the full thing—though some might disagree, I don't hold speed typing as strenuous as weight lifting…coughs But anyway, I'm sorry to say I have no idea what those lyrics say in latin…until you mentioned it, I really thought it was some kind of English lol.

**Bvv: **Definitely. Up until this point I've been wrapping a lot of stuff around those points in the game. For example, later on, I'll get into a logical explanation of why Zelda became Sheik in the first place and other stuff like that. The game itself doesn't elaborate much on them, and so that's where I come in y'know?

**Greki: **Thanks!

**FOO3A2: **Thanks, you see, that's kinda something I've been struggling over ever since I got core ideas for the sequel. While I'm not going to spill anything, I will say that the next installment will be an original fiction (meaning it doesn't retell the game). I just knew that MM would be insanely difficult to incorporate into my main ideas with all the separate (30 of them) stories and masks. And besides, if I tell my own story, I wont have to deal with all the disclaimer crap right?

**MoombaRave: **Like I've said before, adding twists and turns to the main theme is what I live for.

**BD: **It is…but I only did that for metaphorical purposes. You know, Biggoron sword being broken and everything choughs cheese coughs again

**Dragon's Hitokiri: **Thanks! I hope I got it up soon enough!

Thanks a lot everybody and make sure to R&R!


	15. The Burden of Truth

It was just before dawn when that little boy everyone adored came back to the village. Everyone who chanced to see him that day wouldn't let him pass without a courteous greeting. The transition from exile to friendliness and even acceptance startled the boy at first, and then quickly turned into a mind-numbing discomfort.

Though his journey from the castle to Kakariko gave the boy time to resolve himself, the boy never could have been prepared for the drastic and sudden change of attitude in which people were now treating him. Thus, his walks through the village became more like covert infiltrations; and, whenever he was inevitably trapped and greeted by anyone, he was always quiet and answered their questions with little more than a nod of his head.

The boy knew he wasn't ready to be accepted—this being too soon and too sudden to be any place where he "belonged." Before he could fit in, he knew he'd have to accept the person he was becoming. And he'd _never _forgive himself for what he did…

Probably the only person to notice that Link was trying to shy away from people was Miko Hakkeda—overhearing a poor and hasty excuse from Link to get away from one of the carpenters near the well. Naturally, she became curious and hatched a devious plot to find out what was wrong with such a nice boy.

Over at the well, Link sighed heavily when the carpenter finally ran aimlessly away, but no sooner than he exhaled, than a cucco went careening past him, and cries of help from Miko following suit. Without even thinking, Link dived for the cucco before it could get too far, and missed…dismally. However, the splash that ensued Link's accidental belly flop into the well actually landed on the cucco as it was prancing around in a way similar (if similar is an adequate word) to that of the carpenter's apprentices. The dose of water stunned the cucco long enough for Link to climb out of the well and grab it before it could come to its senses (if it even had any) and run off again.

Back at the cucco pen, Link tossed the cucco over the fence and then quietly mused over why he even bothered. Miko, on the other hand, had more trouble containing herself, and Link's face flushed with embarrassment when he finally noticed that Miko, along with Navi (who had exited Link's hat to enjoy the spectacle) were laughing without restraint.

"Even if you're not the best cucco catcher in town, you _do _know how to raise spirits, Link," Miko said in between giggles.

Link's jaw strained a little when his new label became the village 'cucco catcher.'

"But even still," Miko continued, "I owe you again for catching that runaway cucco."

Link wondered where this was going.

"Won't you come in and have some breakfast? It's the least I can do," she answered for him.

"Uh…thanks, but uh, I have to—" Link stuttered haphazardly, taking a step back.

"Nonsense!" Miko said ushering him into her house before he could get away. "You look like you could use a rest anyway," she added, understating the truth.

And so suddenly there he was seated at the table with a loaded plate—trapped, with no way out, and not the slightest clue of how he got there.

XXX

"Ah-h-h…so _that's _it huh?" Miko exclaimed in fascination after Link's story, resting her chin on her laced fingers.

Link grunted an inaudible affirmation. Somehow, in someway that Link wasn't ready to believe, Ms. Hakkeda had gotten him to spill the truth about what happened in the forest—and his origins there for that matter. Miko, at this time, was only in her late teens, but still young enough to want a scoop of any stories outside her village (such behavior like Link's and his stories was a form of entertainment she didn't have to pay for).

Navi, sitting quietly on the windowsill, was happy that Link was finally able to tell someone else about his troubles. Granted that he didn't speak of any time warping, she let him rant at will. She knew that this was better for Link so she (amazingly) didn't intervene at all to engage the story or any subsequent conversations. Instead, she listened to the story being told completely from Link's point of view, and was thoroughly captivated herself. Being the only one that Link had to talk to most of the time, and witness to every single incident as it happened, her responses were almost always mutual, and synonymous with Link's own thoughts—therefore talking about anything quickly became unsatisfactory and unnecessary.

But now it was different. Link was now pouring out his troubles at a near _stranger's_ feet. Navi knew (from experience), that Link was not one at all to share his problems with others—including Saria, or the Know-it-All's; yet, here he was, unable to stop talking until the very end when he sighed heavily, lowered his head in embarrassment, and was quiet afterwards.

"Well, at least that explains why you were trying to avoid people, " Miko observed. "It just seemed a little strange, that's all."

Link became somewhat annoyed. "So, you just noticed me and then got me in here to tell you everything?"

The corner of Miko's mouth curled upwards, and Link rolled his eyes.

"Well, anyway," Miko changed the subject with impeccable timing, "Why don't you tell me why you came here?"

Link remembered his objective suddenly, and wondered if Miko would be able to help him in his quandary.

"Before Hylians came, there were Sheikahs living in this village right?" Link asked randomly.

Miko's face saddened a bit before she replied, "Yes, in fact, up until a few years ago, they populated most of the village—there's only a handful of them left now. I remember many of my friends were Sheikahs…"

"Do you know anything about the Lens of Truth then?" Link asked, hoping her knowledge would be sufficient.

"Lens of Truth?" Miko repeated, and then thought for a moment in silence. Then at length she finally said, "I don't know myself…but there's this old man somewhere around here that always rants about some 'eye of truth.' Is that what you're talking--?" Miko started, but Link was already out the door.

Link found the old man pacing near the Spider House as expected. The old man was hunched over, dressed in what looked like pajamas and was muttering some inaudible gibberish to himself behind his thick moustache. Link had to approach the man, address him, and finally tug on his shoulder before the old man spun around like he was caught off guard, and finally noticed Link staring back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Who are you?" The old geezer demanded.

"Um…I'm sorry sir but—"

"Who are you?" The old man repeated rudely.

"Uh-I'm Link," Link said, pretty miffed himself, "I was wondering if—"

"What do you want?" The man asked peevishly.

"I was wondering if you could tell me—"

"Tell you what? I know lots of things! Be specific!" He demanded.

"It's about the—"

"Speak up now! I don't have all day!"

Link grimaced, and as before, heard the definite sound of stifled giggles emitting from his hat. Resisting the urge to knock the geezer's block off, Link unclenched his fists and spoke through smiling teeth.

"About the well, tell me," Link said simply and flatly.

"Pah!" The old man exclaimed, "Not even a 'please!' Youngsters these days have _no_ respect for their elders! _None_, I say!"

Link felt something in his jaw snap.

"But the well? Eh…what is there to tell about it? Deep, narrow, scary—stay away…"

"Anything out of the ordinary? You know…" Link said, wondering why he was bothering to lead the old man on.

"Out of the ordinary, eh?" The man repeated to himself, "come to think of it, there's a story behind…eh…_under_ that well."

_What did I do to deserve THIS!_ Link asked himself incredulously, far beyond the mood to hear any story.

_Lacking respect for your elders of course! _Navi replied cheekily. _You _really _gotta work on this old people issue…_

The old man straightened himself up and folded his arms behind his back—trying to look as though he were of great importance. Then after clearing his throat and staring at Link with a critical look on his face, he began:

"You see a long, long time ago—when my _ancestors _were but _infants_, you see—there lived an old man here whose eyes could see things unknown to us. Through rock, walls, speech, and lies—finding the truth hidden behind misgivings and false pretenses…"

XXX

At the stone altar, there stood a figure cloaked by darkness and the shadow around him. It uttered some ancient spells and lore forgotten to all but itself, and waving arms to cast luminescent runes and spell circles in the shadow around it. Above the figure swayed a giant gothic chandelier, whose single chain seemed to stretch out upwards and disappeared into the gloom, and whose four blazing fire-lights served only to decorate the effect, rather than to illuminate the room.

The figure suddenly then raised both its arms and the many runes and symbols that were revolving on the walls came off and surrounded the figure in a spinning iridescent ring. Then, the ring of symbols turned over vertically, and one-by-one the runes moved into the center—each overlapping the one before it to create yet a new, more intricate spell. Finally, after all the symbols spun together, a Tri-force trinity was created. The figure pushed its hands forward, and the Triforce was sealed onto the locked door behind the altar.

The figure, with its labors completed, stood away from the altar and stared at it for a long time. At length, the figure then prepared to open the path to its great slumber, and leave the Realm. It however, was suddenly interrupted in the middle of its spell by the soft patter of footsteps emanating from behind him.

"You…how did you get in here?" The figure asked, not bothering to face the intruder. Its voice was soft but firm, and sounded young.

Another figure—a boy, came forth from the dark hallway, leaning back as he walked and arms searching wildly in front of him. The little mal-nourished boy could've only been seven years old; but because of his gaunt limbs, thinning yellow hair, tight face, and (above all) those two pale white eyes—he looked more like a blind old beggar than anything else. The boy did not answer the figure, and continued slowly and cautiously through the room.

The figure at the altar had had enough by the time the boy reached the center of the room.

"Thou shall come no closer! "The cloaked figure hissed, and the boy stopped dead in his tracks.

"I'm sorry your holiness…"The boy apologized pathetically, "you never said goodbye to me…"

"You _expect_ me to…why?" The figure said puzzlingly, turning to face the boy.

"But sir!" The boy whimpered, "You act like you don't know me! Even when you wish to leave me forever!"

Indeed, the figure at the altar was more than a common acquaintance with the boy. In fact, he was its _only_ acquaintance.

"Why doest thou torment me so? Go away, so that I may sleep in peace!"

With that the boy began to cry. The figure turned away so that it wouldn't have to witness such displays, but it could not pretend to ignore the boy's sobs—they were soon more than it could stand to bear, and thus, beaten by love, the mighty Sage of Shadow fell to his knees.

"…please, child, do not torment me with your tears," the Sage said, doubling over in its own sadness.

Still sad, but sensing an air of sincerity in the Sage's voice, the boy obeyed.

"Thou art but a child, and could not hope to understand my meaning—but a call hath been made to thee—it beckons thee to sleep, and leave this life behind."

"But then who will protect me? You were always there to be my eyes…who will see for me now?"

The sage turned back to the boy to face him in earnest—though he did not need too. Indeed, the boy was blind, orphaned, and an outcast among the Sheikah for his disability. The boy was only a product of the whole reason why the figure remained in the mortal realm.

The Sage then began to reminisce in memories of the boy—thinking back to the first time they met. One day, years before, the boy had been thrown into a graveyard crypt by some other village children and left there with the headstone covering the exit. In that tomb, the boy accidentally found his way into the underground labyrinth of ravines and crypts that surrounded the Shadow Temple. It was days later when the boy suddenly came upon the Sage in some forgotten chamber below the Temple itself.

The boy was the only living creature to see the Sage there…and thus the Sage took an immediate, but silent liking to the boy. The Sage admired the boy's perseverance and determination to no end. The boy was blind, abandoned, lost, starving, shunned by those who basked in the light, and above all…lonely; and yet the boy still pushed on through the crypt, on and on—the sage knew that if the boy hadn't found it, he simply would've kept going.

The sage had asked why the boy didn't stop—asked _why did thou not just throw yourself into the ravines when the Great Eye, my pet, shalt be there to catch you in the rapture of death? It would be a thousand times more just…rather than go on suffering. –_And the boy thought for a long time, for he himself didn't know why as he went on, but replied honestly, and truthfully—_Hope, sir, to find a way out…hope is what drives me everywhere I go in my life. I like to hope that someone will love and accept me, I like to hope that one day I'll have true friends, and my faith in hope is never betrayed—_and it became the Sage's turn to think in silence.

Long before—in aeons and ages past, the sage had defied the heavens to live with its beloved brethren and those whom were kept by the Great Eye—a spirit of his own creation. But the heavens were not without wrath for the Sage's blasphemy. For the very second it tread the ground with its holy feet, it became unseen to the eyes of its people—a shadow forever, henceforth. The sage's punishment continued furthermore; as it could only watch the Sheikah, holy and pure, allow the own darkness in their hearts become one with evil. No suffering amounted to what the Sage felt then…having sacrificed itself to prevent such travesties from happening, and all done _in vain. _It was the end of the world, as the Sage knew it.

Back at the time of the creation, Darkness was only an element of the being—neither good, nor evil, just as were the other elements over which the Sages presided. Slowly however, as people lived through the generations, Light and Darkness became contrasted against one another. Among the Hylians, it became a mode of religion. But the Sheikah knew better (their own Guardian being an entity of Darkness itself), and kept allied to the darkness without prejudice and evil. However, the Sage watched all of that slowly begin to change—and so it exiled itself to the Shadow Temple, and would repent there for eternity.

But then that day, when the boy found and confessed to it, the sage became attached to the boy because it could see the darkness in his heart was untouched by evil. The Sage was fascinated in the boy, but would never let him know it. The only difference between them was that the boy was blind, and the Sage was burdened with sight.

The sage regarded its sight repulsively, having no need for it in the shadow other than to watch the evil festering in people's hearts—therefore, the Sage considered the boy's blindness almost like a "voucher" to exist _blissfully_ in a tainted Realm.

How could it be—that a mere mortal boy lived on a higher plane than the Sage? It was unheard of, therefore the Sage returned the boy to the surface, and from then on walked in the wake of the boy's shadow as his eyes and guardian—lowering the boy back down to a echelon on which the sage deemed _equal_. However, the Sage was not satisfied with equality of mortal flesh and divine appointment, so as long as the two were together, the Sage acted as the boy's superior…as it should've been anyway.

The memory faded away and the Sage realized that it owed the boy an answer—and it came simply.

"Your brother…is he still alive?" The sage asked, having been apart from the boy for some time now to make preparations for its parting.

"He will be hung at dawn—but I know what you were thinking, sir," the boy said nonchalantly. The boy's brother was a rather surly individual who was convicted of cannibalism for killing several Sheikah by drinking blood from their necks. The two never cared in the slightest for each other even though they were brothers.

"I couldn't hide the truth from you, is that right?" The Sage said apologetically, but the boy smiled on the contrary.

"No sir, you couldn't…"

A thought then flashed through the Sage's mind. _–What if he knows? Is he even waiting for me to leave? To ascend himself without burden? _

The Sage puzzled over their 'equality' and the boy in its absence, and decided that leaving the boy unburdened would be unacceptable.

"Thy knows what to do…" The Sage said ominously to the boy.

Suddenly a ring drew itself around the boy, then another, slightly bigger, and finally revolving scripture of some forgotten language wrote itself in the gap between circles. Lines then followed suit by forming triangles whose corners touched the inner circle. The boy was dragged to the floor and set upon his back, unable to move, and unable to see the aurora around him. He cried out when he heard a distorted voice singing some language he didn't understand—but the sage would not answer.

The voice, or voices (he couldn't tell), slowly got louder and louder—seemingly aiding a circle in the runes to shrink to a smaller size on his chest. The lines that formerly made triangles and hexagons within the circle then too began to shrink, becoming a short narrow line, and three horns on the opposite side of the circle. The boy didn't have the slightest clue of what was going on, when suddenly the voice began to fade, and a heavy object suddenly materialized over his chest. Unsure of everything at the moment, the boy merely remained on the floor, breathing heavily while trying to calm his frantic heart.

Everything stopped. The boy felt the sage take the heavy item from him…chortling to itself for some strange reason like it had just played a funny trick.

The Sage held the object away from itself, inspecting its work—finding it more than satisfactory.

"Yes…yesss, thy knows…" The Sage began speaking in some ecstatic rapture. "There is but one thing left to do…"

The sage then brought its free hand to its face and appeared to be pulling something away from it with much effort. Slowly, a light began to stretch away from the Sage's face—almost as if the light were his very skin…when suddenly the light snapped away, it became a luminescent reddish-bluish ball with a slit of darkness down the middle. The sage then placed the ball firmly within the center of the frame he had created. At once, the ball solidified itself, and the lens was complete.

"Thou art wrought and conceived of ye own darkness within the heart—a _frame_ worthy to contain the burden of _thy_ sight—a framework worthy to contain the object of truth…"

"Sir…what is going on?" The boy asked, dragging himself to his feet, still oblivious to everything the Sage was doing.

"Thee hath answered your question," the sage said, kneeling down to the boy and bestowing the Magnifying glass to the boy.

As soon the boy grasped the handle he came upon a phenomenon unknown to him—more magnificent and more frightening than anything he'd ever experienced. Save for a clear circle center, the boy's _vision_ was clouded with a blood-red haze. In this haze the boy spotted something dark, black, and cloaked in front of him.

Facing directly towards it, the cloaked figure of the red haze disappeared, and replaced itself with an ordinary man. As the first Sheikan he'd ever seen, the boy only regarded the man and said nothing—too overcome with this sudden amazing and apocryphal miracle. The man gazed at the boy expressionlessly for a time after that.

"Heitherto, thou shall bear the burden of thy sight—and suffer as I have…"

"S-Sir?" The boy asked weakly.

"Thy journey to thy rest shalt not be made with lingering regrets…Heitherto, thou shalt bear the burden of thy sight—the burden of Truth."

"So, sir…you're leaving me? To…to _suffer_?"

"Thou art prepared…thou must _hope _once again…"

With that, the boy understood a little of what his only friend was saying, and was compelled to reassure it.

"Um…Thee shall carry thy_ burden _with all of thy heart's strength, your holiness…" The boy said as professionally as he could.

The Sage then smiled at the boy…something it had not done for countless millennia.

"We shall see, boy…or, _you _will…" The Sage uttered knowingly.

The boy then only watched as the Sage began to flicker in the light of the torches, and melted away with the shadow. And so, the boy let go of the lens—setting it in his pocket where it could not be touched, and then crawled on hands and knees through the labyrinth of crypts—simply hoping he would find the exit.

XXX

"For the rest of that old man's life, he was respected and revered by the Sheikah. They built him a house, and it once stood where the well is now, but…" the old man trailed off.

"But?" Link asked expectantly.

"Well, you see that old man had the power to _instill _respect, honor, and even fear among Sheikahs and Hylians alike. For the time he was alive, there were no liars, no misgivings—no _deception_ of _any_ kind. Everyone was too afraid they'd disappear from the old man's sight…"

"Oh…he could see through their lies, right?"

"Yes, yes!" the old man chortled, "You're not as dumb as you look after all!"

Link sacrificed some dignity on his part in order to let the derisive remark go without a retort.

"Then what happened to the old man after he died?" Link asked.

The old man's eyes saddened, his voice hardened angrily, and he turned his back to Link.

"Those…those accursed fools!" the old man cursed aloud, "They—they burned his house down, and _murdered_ his family!"

"What! Why?" Navi burst unexpectedly. "He maintained a good order during his life!"

"Ah yes, you see…no one, especially us Hylians, liked being forced to act on our best behavior everyday of our lives…even the Sheikahs were not devoid of contempt for the man. So, they did away with him once and for all, and went on living relatively normal lives, despite their sin."

Link looked down at the ground contemptuously for a while, brooding over the story and all of its unglamorous details. Then, catching himself in the midst of his thought, he decided that muddling in the past wasn't getting him anywhere.

It was a sudden and spontaneous decision—and after admitting such a decision his heart suddenly felt several pounds heavier; but Link couldn't think about _that_ right now, it was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Well then, sir," Link addressed the man thankfully, "Thank you for—"

"Hm? Who are you? What do you want?" The man inquired, turning around to Link.

At that point, Link decided not to bother, and walked away without a word under the storm of taunts and rants from the old man.

XXX

Link was not afraid of what he would find and face inside the well. He wasn't afraid of the monsters or the zombies that lurked in the narrow flood ways, he most certainly wasn't afraid of that certain undead character that tried to drain the life from his neck, and he wasn't afraid when staring truth in the face.

It would be much more accurate to say that Link didn't _want_ to find and face what he knew was coming after he found the sacred item. In his mind, Link tried to run from it—he wanted to be afraid…just once, that way he could hide, or at least make her understand who he had become. But…

Link wasn't afraid when Saria finally called out to him on her ocarina—what he found in the Well had to be faced with courage. There was no running from it any longer…

XXX

"Link…Link, can you hear me?"

Link was silent for a moment—as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

_So that little traitor told her after all…_Link thought contemptuously, _I guess it couldn't be helped._

"Link?"

"Yes, Saria…I can hear you," Link said at length.

"Link…I just want you to tell me why you didn't think I would understand…" Saria said quietly. 

"Because you wouldn't—you still don't, and there's nothing I can say that will _make _you understand," Link lowered his head.

"How can you say that?"Saria demanded, feeling helpless.

"It took more out of me than you could ever imagine, Saria…if that is of any comfort to you…"

_Cry alone, I've gone away_

_No more nights, no more pain_

_I've gone alone, took all my strength_

_I've made the change,_

_I won't see you tonight_

"How am I supposed to believe that when you just…left like that? It was like you didn't care about anything anymore!" Saria nearly screamed through tears. Her feelings were still so strong for Link that she failed to see the pain from his side.

"Perhaps I should tell you everything killing my heart at that time, Saria. Would _that_ be of any comfort to you?" Link asked callously.

"No…it wouldn't…" Saria admitted sadly. 

_Sorrow, sank deep inside my blood_

_All the ones around me_

_I cared for and loved_

"What else can I say to you, Saria, that might make you feel better?" Link asked blearily, "I had to change if I was ever going to live with myself…"

"Tell me what happened to you? What was it really—the way you looked at me and everyone…do you know what I mean?"

Link nearly doubled over. He knew exactly what she meant; after all, she wasn't the first person to say those exact words. What he didn't expect is that everyone would notice. Link truly thought he had moved past that part of himself—but of course, he was dead wrong.

"I guess that's what I've been talking about, Saria," Link said quietly. "It's the darker part of myself that came along when I lost you…and then grew stronger every step of the way. I wanted to you to believe that there was nothing I could've done to stop it…but I'm not even sure about _that _anymore."

_Building up inside of me_

_A place so dark, so cold, I had to set me free_

_Don't mourn for me,_

_You're not the one to place the blame_

_As battles call my name I won't see you tonight_

Saria was visibly shaken by Link's lack of confidence and trust in himself. It never really was a problem before all of this happened, so hearing him act like this was almost too much to stand in itself. Saria figured on her own by now that even if it turned out that there really _was _nothing he could've done, she knew that would be just as painful as knowing that he _could. _

_Sorrow sank deep inside my blood_

_All the ones around me_

_I cared for and most of all I loved_

_But I can't see myself that way_

_Please don't forget me or cry while I'm away_

"So you see it now…you understand a little," Link said with a shaky voice. "You, me, my friends, my past, future—everything! Fate had it like this, for the salvation of others we were condemned to suffering!"

Saria didn't answer, but she began sobbing. She didn't know what to think anymore; she didn't want to believe what he was saying but at the same time all those things before were falling into place. Saria would ask why it had to be them, why it had to be so horrible and sad, but all of it could be answered by that simple, cruel, and unsatisfactory word that never explained anything.

"Fate had it like this, Saria…" Link repeated. "To survive I had to endure the ravages of the future on my mind…and I couldn't…I know now that by coming back to the forest—that false sanctum—I was just running away from my problems. I guess you could say that what I found here was punishment for being a child in the matter—for being so naïve..."

"Link, stop it…please…" 

_Cry alone, I've gone away_

_No more nights, no more pain_

_I've gone alone, took all my strength_

_But I've made the change,_

_I won't see you tonight_

"When I left you Saria…I found yet another false sanctity in the people around me. It tempted to ruin me from the inside out…I know now that everything I did there was an unconscious measure to lead myself back to the Truth and Reality. In order to survive, I had to grow out of my childhood! I had to shed that old skin…otherwise…I would have fallen without a fight—and if I am condemned to a life of suffering compared to living a false and blissful lie than I would much rather take the pain—because you can't grow when your living a lie…"

_So far away, I'm gone._

_Please don't follow me tonight_

_An while I'm gone everything will be alright_

"I…I don't know you anymore…you're not that boy I loved!"Saria screamed in horror.

_No more breathe inside_

_Essence left my heart tonight_

"No…" Link said, falling to his knees. "I guess _you_ can call _me _Cage from now on…"

* * *

AH-H-H-H-H! Sooo SAD! Cripes, I wanted to end it on a bit of a lighter note…but if you have _any _sense of mood transition you would know that would be impossible right now. Ok people, this one was pretty serious and pretty deep. It really takes an open mind to understand what's going on in this entire chapter—speaking in what only naturally happens, younger readers will tend to misunderstand this chapter, but that can't be avoided. What began as a mediocre adventure story has now almost become a psychological thriller…Sorry about that. Rest assured, there will be _plenty_ of action in the next chapter, and there will be _no_ slacking off in that subject…but you're also going to see a lot of this "dark" personality to Link.

If you don't understand the trauma going on in the end of this chapter or you don't understand Link's way of thinking that's _perfectly_ fine. The main idea here is a person in an abnormal (paranormal?) situation, its psychological ramifications, and what he does about it.

Don't be afraid, Link's not completely gone, and he hasn't fully "become" Cage, but you'll see a definite relationship in between the two in the later chapters.

Oh yeah, and the Song in between the passages at the end is "I Wont See You Tonight Pt. 1", by Avenged Sevenfold. Once again, this is a song that I _strongly _suggest listening to. If you've never heard it before then you might think it sounds a little spontaneous but in all honesty, there's no better way to do the song (these guys can swing in between different octaves in a half-beat, and still keep their musical voice…demanding respect, peace out…)

Ok then, lets hit those reviews!

**Bvv31389: **:grins: the humor may be…crude…but every one enjoys knowing Mido sh— himself at one point or another…

**Dragon's Hitokiri: **I was planning to provide a kind of epilogue like I did in that other chapter to put some more closure on Saria herself but I'll save that bit for later when it's more appropriate.

**Shion20: **I refer to the a/n above. However, I'm glad your decided to give it a second glance. In the more recent chapters you may be able to spot things you may not have noticed before.

**Greki: **Yeah…it HAS been a long time. And I'm sorry to say that this year (senior year XoX) is going to be especially tough on me so it might be a little while till I get the next one up.

**Kat-: **Hey, that's cool! I'm glad I included those now that I know what they mean (think I might've been jumping the gun on that one? lol) and to be completely honest that gives me an idea for a closure later on…:eyes glint evilly:

If you have criticism, let's have it…but for the sake of others lets keep it constructive okay? I really want to know people's opinions on this one so lets have 'em! R&R!

**Note**: I'm posting an updated version of ch.12 (I think…lol) at the same time as this chapter. Nothing much to look forward to in it except for some loose ends taken care of and a happy sequence in between Link and Saria. Take a look if you're interested.


	16. Heart of Darkness: Part One

**Chapter Sixteen:**

**Heart of Darkness: **Part One

* * *

Sheik stood motionlessly on the hidden alcove in the Graveyard, watching intently as Link appeared on the Pedestal of Shadow and hesitated before the entrance into the Shadow Temple.

As usual, Sheik's body was unnerving and still, as was his expression. On the inside however, Sheik felt as though he might break down in a nervous wreck. It was all he could do to keep himself from shaking.

Of course, there was a good reason for his silent inner turmoil. To put it simply, it was a matter of life and death with massive consequences to ensue.

For just the task of securing Impa, Sheik was risking everything that he, Link, and countless others had lived for. It was imperative to him, personally that Impa be kept safe from Ganondorf—he owed it to her, he owed _everything _to her.

It wasn't as simple as sending Link in to fight the Beast of Shadows and awaken Impa as a Sage, however; no, it was far more complicated than just that. The first issue of which was that sending Link and Navi into the Shadow Temple to rescue Impa teetered on the edge of disaster—and the risk at stake was one that Sheik could not be sure Impa would approve him taking.

Sheik knew it was all thanks to the clean division of Light and Darkness in Link's already mangled heart that he would be so susceptible to the evil waiting for him within the Shadow Temple, of all places. In essence, it all boiled down to which part of Link was the strongest...and, if indeed Link had not been able to conquer that part of himself before, what could there be to make Sheik believe Link could do it this time?

Sheik knew that by sending Link into the Shadows he was inexcusably setting Link up for defeat. If Link succumbed to the Shadows, Impa would be at the mercy of Ganondorf and beyond all reach, the quest would be over, everyone would pay the consequence, and it would _all_ be Sheik's fault for his lack of judgment.

But, worst of all, Sheik knew this task was suited better to none other than himself. Sheik was the last of his kind, it would only befit him if he were to free Impa from her prison and reclaim the Shadow Beast from evil...but again, the problem wasn't as simple as that.

Although it was different and under strange circumstances, Shiek, just like Link, faced a similar division of Light and Darkness within himself; and, he, just like Link, was also just as susceptible to the same evil that had claimed the souls of his people.

In addition, Impa had made it clear to him long before that he was not to reveal himself to the enemy in anyway possible—for circumstances upon which Link's entire quest, and the very future of Hyrule relied on.

Not to mention the fact that darkness was not something Sheik took kindly too...being born into a world where darkness was claiming the lives of his friends and family it should be a wonder why he didn't flinch every time he looked at his own shadow.

Link on the other hand, was fearless. And it was on this ground alone that Sheik had decided to send Link in his place. However, this decision understandably seemed taken a little too lightly to Sheik—being that there was only one deciding factor. And, he still could not be sure it was the better choice.

What would it all be for then? If one of them failed? Was taking the one who knows no fear but holds the power of the Sages the right thing to do? Or would it be better if Sheik himself, the only key to setting things right was the one sacrificed?

Despite their strengths, Sheik and Link were equally susceptible to the evil inside the Shadow Temple—and that susceptibility was exactly where the risk was the most precarious. If Link failed, everything that Sheik had accomplished with him would be for nothing, and countless others would pay the price.

Another bead of sweat rolled down the side of Sheik's face as Link finally started down the tunnel that would lead him to the Temple.

_"There is a hidden strength in everything, even one we might not expect," _Sheik thought meditatively, "_Even in our greatest weaknesses there is a insurmountable strength on which we can rely."...Rauru, did you think that applied to him? Or did you think that it would apply to me?_

"And thus, the conscience makes cowards of us all...isn't that right, Little Sheikah?" A voice asked.

At once, Sheik sprung like a loaded coil, leaping forwards and spinning around in midair to bring his weapons to bear on his assailant. He had raised a smoke bomb over his head and was ready to throw it down when he suddenly realized who he was about to attack. His body froze.

"What's this?" Kaepora Gaebora clucked rhetorically, "Do I sense apprehension? In _you_, little one? My, my, _how_ the world has changed in my absence!"

Sheik's eyes narrowed indignantly, and then softened, albeit reluctantly. He lowered his armaments, too, but for some reason Sheik was still shaking visibly from the freight and the signs of his apprehension were more visible now than ever.

Kaepora pointed a questioning eye at Sheik, then turned his head to do the same with the other. Kaepora's expression hardened, and he emitted an absentminded but austere coo.

"Yes...it seems _much _has changed while I've been gone..." Kaepora said aloud, "Come, little one, we have much to share."

xxx

Link stepped off the small pedestal after administering the spell of Din's Fire on the surrounding brazers. The massive stone door that had previously impeded his way began to rise slowly after the puzzle was solved.

Air that had been locked inside for the ages suddenly rushed out and stirred the dust at the Hero's feet. Link's eyes narrowed at the hollow sound of the wind and took one step forward.

"Link...wait, please!" Navi said suddenly, and he complied.

"What is it?"

"Something is—I don't—I don't think we should do this, Link." Navi finally blurted out haphazardly.

It suddenly occurred to Link that, judging from the way she spoke, this was the first time that Navi _ever_ sounded scared. His blood ran cold.

"Explain," He demanded.

"It...doesn't feel right," Navi said as simply as she could. Describing the true way she felt about this place would be impossible. It seemed all so vaguely familiar to her, but then again perhaps it was that same familiarity that was upsetting her nerves.

"More funny feelings? Great..." Link said dismissively, taking another step forward into the tunnel.

"But Link..._you_ can feel it too, can't you?" Navi asked pleadingly, staying behind him.

Link stopped again and turned to look her. His expression was solid but affirmative of her question, and his eyes looked as if they could have turned her into stone. As much as he and Navi had been through already, Link had never known that he could feel such things until now. He said nothing.

"We've felt this before...somewhere else in time. Both of us—I'm sure of it." Navi continued, "Except this time, I feel like we've been given plenty of warning. What will happen to us this time if we repeat whatever mistake we made in the past?" Navi asked of him in full honesty.

For the briefest second, Navi thought she saw what looked like an eerie grin flash across Link's face before it vanished.

"Who ever said it was a mistake?"

Just then Navi's worst fears for Link revealed themselves to her simply on those words, and she stood as still and rigid as a statue while a wave of shivers and uneasiness spread through her body like a disease.

Somewhere, deep down, Navi knew that it would come to this again—though she hoped more than anything that she and Link wouldn't have to somehow. Navi had be so careful, so _precise _when she and Link traveled to the past so as to prevent this from happening; but here it was, despite all her efforts.

Navi knew she had to be strong for the both of them. It was unlikely that Link had any clue as to what was in store for them—so she had to be careful, and brave. Tried as she had, the problems Navi knew she and Link would have to face were coming back to haunt them—no more running away on her part.

Link read her face like a book, though he didn't know what it meant—it was obvious that she was afraid for the both of them. It suddenly occurred to Link that Navi wasn't behaving at all like she normally would. He was confused, and interested, but he was more partial to finding out what may have happened to Impa.

Navi's face could be read anytime (he decided whimsically), but he could _only_ get the answers to the mystery of his quest from Impa—and that, more than anything, was what he wanted the most.

After all, Impa was literally Link's last hope for any definitive answers to his questions. Impa was the one who would know where Zelda was--that would be a start. She was the only other Sheikah alive as well, so she would also probably have the dirt on Sheik that Link needed to trust him, or otherwise...

Link's eyes flashed ominously as he took an unhindered step forward into the heart of darkness. He knew there was no turning back, but the cost was one Link was willing to pay.

Navi took a deep, unsatisfying breath before flying in after Link. She wished more than anything that she could just tell him what she felt about this place, and she wished more than anything that he would admit to understanding her. But Link's courage got too much in the way to allow him to acknowledge her fear.

Navi was afraid of _him_, too, now that she knew he would never stop for fear, premonition, or even rationality. His eyes were flaming with the drive she had witnessed so many times before—whenever he got close to what he wanted, he was unstoppable.

As the two continued on, the light from Navi's body reflected her dying courage. Already, she could see that tiny glimmer of hope at the end of hopelessness beginning to fade.

xxx

Ganondorf burst out laughing at the top of his lungs—throwing his arm out to clutch some stitch in his side and using the other to gain support from his knee.

Impa glowered at him defiantly, but her head had lowered slightly in disappointment.

"Oh-h-ho!" Ganondorf shouted, "Isn't it just _outrageous_! The irony is so thick even _I'm _having problems wading through it all!"

"Quit your blathering already, it's not that funny," Impa said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, but you've no sense of humor, so never mind!" Ganondorf replied jovially, then began laughing again.

Impa crossed her arms and turned her back on him—instead deciding to meditate and take her mind off of such bitter luck. An image of Link walking into the dungeon disappeared from her view when Ganon wiped it away.

Of course, Impa knew what Sheik was faced with, no doubt. The choice to send Link instead of himself must have torn his heart in two. Impa knew that Sheik was smart, and wise beyond his years, though; so she would respect his judgment and choice...to whatever end that took him.

During the last two days the events surrounding Impa, Sheik and Link had only gone from bad to worse. Especially when things were beginning to look up too before then.

Sheik had returned to Impa and the remnants of the resistance in Kakariko Village—reporting his successes with Link in the Temples, and eager to move on to the next stage of the quest. For that one day, Impa had seen Sheik happier than he had ever been before.

However, that all changed when Impa felt a great presence awaken beneath the village—and she knew at once that the Shadow Beast was trying to release itself from well where she had imprisoned it several years ago. If the Beast had been biding its strength this entire time, Impa knew there would be no way she could seal it back up again.

The only logical decision would be to journey into the Shadow Temple and cut the Shadow Beast off before it reached its master. She had only been able to tell Sheik of her plans minutes after the Village burst into flames, and she headed off to the Shadow Temple to meet the Beast there.

What Impa did not expect was that the Shadow Temple was undergoing a massive change the moment she entered. Navigating through what could only be the work of Ganondorf for the past day, she finally made her way to the Beast's lair, only to find that it had beaten her there, and was waiting for her to arrive. Ganondorf had only arrived shortly after to welcome her to his "shadowy abode."

The Great Eye, now defiled into a lesser pet of Ganondorf, hummed to itself as it gently beat its massive drum. Impa watched it disappear and reappear in and out of its poorly composed refrains—which were also a myriad of automaton hums and grunts. Ironically, Impa was glad that whenever she met her end, her soul most definitely would not be placed in the hands of such a monstrosity.

"But you see it now don't you?" Ganon asked, ripping her from her thought, "Admit it, I'm a genius of the arts!"

Impa looked away, but relented truthfully, "It is...impressive, but what makes you so sure that you will succeed? Didn't you do the same thing when you captured the Zoran Princess?"

"Yes, in fact I did," Ganondorf answered with a grin, "But what you don't realize is that my masterpiece is one in the same with the one that was "defeated" in the Water Temple—I knew that a decisive victory for either one was impossible, so I—"

"You mean you planned this from the start?" Impa interrupted, amazed that she had been outwitted so bitterly.

"Quite right," Ganon answered, chuckling under his breath," From the moment I saw him as a man, I in turn saw his vast potential. If I could lead him to be stronger...but divided, as I accomplished, then I could just as easily point him in my favor without any effort wasted at all!"

Impa's eyes began to ember with hatred. There had been no miscalculation on her part. Everything she could have done, she had done right, and yet here she was, like a lamb to the slaughter. The notion of being doomed from the start was more than she could take.

Impa lowered her head and snarled at the premise of total defeat. Inside she knew things were not lost yet, there was still hope—there had to be...somewhere.

Impa's fists clenched and oblivious to everything else, binded her anger while Ganon watched her with interest. Around her a dark aura that would even be impressive to _him _was gathering and growing by the second. Suddenly the grin vanished from his face as he came to a thought regarding the power of the Sage to which Impa was host.

It was the only thing that could ruin things for him—but why would it? Was Link not a _perfect_ specimen for transmutation? Wouldn't the Sage love nothing more than make another one of his own? Why would the Sage of Shadows turn against _him_, of all people?

Perhaps the rumors where true then? Had Impa's power already been awakened before all of this had happened? Ganon's thoughts suddenly stopped cold in their tracks as they moved on to the final question.

Or...was it that the Sage had never slept in the first place?

A screen of darkness covered Ganon's vision. For an instant, he saw the glow of a single Sheikan eye in front of him—a perfect solid-red iris silhouetted in a sharp oval of pure white. It blinked once at him, then disappeared.

xxx

On the other side, in the Sacred Realm, Impa stood alone in the darkness. She did not know what had happened or where she was now, but her first clue was the stone floor that she was standing on. Instead of on the soft canvas-like drum of her former guardian, Impa was now inside the center of a large stone hallway.

Impa began walking forward—to where she didn't know, but sitting and puzzling over miracles did not suite her personality at all. She became aware of the echoes of her footsteps that bounced off the walls and (apparently) high ceiling. Occasionally, she would come across a stone pillar, but other than that she encountered only silence.

It was pleasant really; to her the dark and silence was sometimes a sanctum from her everyday duties...that is, whenever something happened beyond her power to control or correct—she would withdraw to the shadows, and watch.

Besides, after that tyrant's incessant blathering, silence was more welcome now than ever.

The silence didn't last forever; from ahead of her a myriad of soft but mysterious sounds floated through the darkness. After she finally reached the source of the strange noises, she found herself on top of a large circular diasis, with the darkness and abyss beyond and forever below. For a moment, she felt like she was back on the Great Eye's drum, but directed her attention to a cloaked figure in the very center of the platform.

"Who goes there?" The figure asked softly. All the noises had suddenly stopped.

"Who wants to know?" Impa replied suspiciously—something about the figure's voice had struck a vague familiarity.

"I have no use for a name..." The figure replied.

Impa narrowed her eyes and introduced herself, "I am Impa of the Sheikahs," she said coldly, "First Lieutenant of the Hylian Guard, and personal guardian of—"

"The Princess...yes, I know _that_..." the figure replied impatiently.

Impa held her tongue and her posture stiffened; but not out of surprise from the figure's lack of manners—as she normally would. What bothered her now was the voice and its similarity to the voice and manner of someone she knew very well.

"Your high—Sheik...is that you?" Impa asked wearily, catching herself.

"Sheik?" The figure repeated, then lowered the hood. "Now _that_ is a name I have not heard in a long, long time..."

Impa held her breath as the young man revealed the ornamental clothing of a Sage. She approached him and, awkwardly, brushed his bangs aside, just as she had often done with her nephew years ago. Two puzzled red eyes stared back at her, and she stared at them for some time before sighing heavily and letting him go.

Another awkward silence passed before the sage realized what Impa had done.

"Ah...I see," the sage said in understanding, "You were his aunt, weren't you? The sister of that poor soul who—or, never mind, I suppose you already know."

Impa's jaw clenched angrily—she had been fooled.

"What's that? How _could_ you have been fooled, when you hardly knew him as it was?" The sage retorted, reading her mind like an open book.

Impa didn't say anything, but she glowered at him—a warning that, normally, would have made even the bravest of men start anew on a different subject.

"Perhaps you _don't _know who I really am," the sage wondered aloud, completely ignoring her. "And yet _you_ called me by my old name...intriguing."

"You are obviously the Sage of Shadow," Impa said indignantly.

"But do you know my story? Well...I suppose you _would _know that—but I suppose you also have many questions! Come now, I hold the truths you desire," Sheik said, jumping from one idea another in a heartbeat.

Impa was not at all impressed with the Sage's manner, though it (at one time) resembled that of her nephew's. Even if the sage had made a bad impression on her, the similarities that he shared with her nephew were undeniable, and so that in itself was a question that needed to be answered.

"Why do appear to be my nephew, Sheik?" Impa asked at length.

"Ah, an excellent question, and with a story to boot! My _name_ is Sheik—a herald name, sounding the birth, and the death of a race," The Sage began.

"I once lived among the Sheikan people...I was their father and guardian, and for a time I was able to love life as much as they were; but, the time came when the realm was at peace and no longer needed the protection of the Sages. While the elemental sages slept, me and my comrade, Rauru lingered on...toying with the heavens for sometime before Chaos threatened our people."

At that time, my accursed friend, Rauru left me for the Sacred Realm, and I was punished for my blasphemy by the gods themselves. I resigned myself to the deepest pit in the void, but I did not journey to the sacred realm—and so my punishment continued."

I am not wrathful, I am not evil, but I loved my people so dearly, that I could not part from them. In my exile, I planned to comeback again in a great act of defiance against the Heavens!"

It all happened at once, relatively speaking; when I predestined a child to be my host, the Heavens threatened my people again with Chaos...I thought if only I could awake in the child then I could drive off their malady myself, and be with them once again...but--"

"Ganondorf," Impa uttered.

"Yes...he was so potent in evil that he defiled my pet that was wrought to protect my people in my absence...with my people's hearts so corrupted, they fell all to easily, until only my little child was left...and his seemingly immune aunt, who miraculously appeared to steal away my child's soulless body and sell it to that vile brat you call a princess..." The sage paused in mere contempt or the idea.

"And so here I am...a mere spirit of a Sheikan boy who has lost possession of his own body. Or, in other words, I am _all_ that remains of your nephew..." The Sage finished, feeling satisfied that the tale had been passed on to his heir.

Impa on the other hand, was anything but satisfied with the Sage's story. She felt overwhelmed once again by the feeling of helplessness—that she, once again, had been doomed from the start, and she became more and more angry with every passing second.

"You...You betrayed all of us...didn't you?" Impa uttered contemptuously.

"Yes, I did..." The sage replied unempathetically, having told that to himself every waking moment in ages past.

"For your own selfish gain, you planned to rail against the heavens, and in doing so you dragged us all down with you!" Impa said in a strained voice, finding it increasingly difficult to control her anger.

'Yes, that's right,' Sheik said, his tone becoming much too careless for Impa's tastes.

"_All_ of this pain and suffering—I watched my people suffer and die for so long! All because of _you_!" Impa hissed malevolently. At long last, an aura of darkness spawned from pure hatred began to surround Impa's body. The Sage watched on amusedly, merely staring into the infernal eyes before him without so much as a blink.

"In the darkness, there is no guide...there is no certainty to whence the path of your life will take you...keep in mind Impa that my only crime was loving my people, and only I could not foresee the consequences..."

"Even still I will never forgive you for what you have done! I watched my only sister's soulless body wither away for years before being sacrificed at the hands of the Beast! No one deserves to feel that pain! No one!" Impa shouted at him, with her emotions beyond her control for the first time in her life.

The Sage smiled eerily.

"I—I will not tolerate this!" Impa said, extending the long claws hidden in her gauntlets.

"Then come...punish me—punish yourself—punish _all_ of us...rid us completely of the evil that festers in the dark," Sheik said as Impa surged towards him.

With his thought alone, the boy known as Sheik opened a passage back to the Shadow Temple directly behind him, but just before she collided with him and absorbed him into her being, he whispered to her:

"Awaken my child, and purge the evil from our hearts of darkness."

xxx

A surge of panic swept over Ganondorf as his vision suddenly cleared and he could see his surroundings again. The instant the screen of darkness disappeared, Impa was suddenly flying at him at an incredible speed, roaring savagely as she went.

Ganondorf barely had time to move his arms in a defensive position (let alone a barrier to shield himself) before a flurry of swipes shredded apart his thick leather armor. After only a second, his arms were begging to feel the sting of the Sage's claws—but a second's reprieve was all the time he needed.

A dark aura blasted forth from Ganon's body and blew the Sage clear to the other side of the drum.

Ganondorf looked at the deep cuts on his forearms as if they were only scratches. In only a moment's time, the scars and wounds healed themselves; he turned back to the sage and moved into a fighter's stance—being the first sage of them all to present a challenge, he would enjoy this fight for all it was worth.

"I must say," Ganondorf confided in the sage with a smirk, "That you caught me off guard, your holiness."

"There will be _no_ second chances," The sage hissed through her teeth, moving towards him. "I will not allow you to hide in _my shadows_ any longer!"

"Oh, but I like it here...it's quite cozy you know," Ganondorf answered competitively, moving in unison with the sage, "And you know evil and darkness are one in the same nowadays..."

The sage flashed a malicious and blood thirsty smile, "All of that changes here, and now!" The Sage shouted. "And I will start with _you_!" She added, breaking into a sprint at him.

Ganon moved into a stance as if to brace for recoil; with one arm held in front of him, perpendicular with the drum, and the other drawn behind his back. Rays of yellow light began to leak through his fingers and became darker as they grew stronger.

The sage then became airborne, and skimmed the surface of the drum as it picked up speed.

When Ganon sensed that she was close enough, he let his guard down and surged forward while simultaneously releasing all the energy he had stored in his fist. The energy carried him forward towards the sage with his fist out in front of him, but when the energy flew from his hand and he looked to see where his victim lay, she was not to be found.

Ganon's eyes widened when he thought the sage may have somehow avoided his signature punch...but, that would have to mean that she was even faster than _him. _

"Where are you!" He shouted, looking frantically to his pet, which only returned a blank look. "Don't be a sniveling coward! Come out and fight!"

The sage hissed something that sounded like a chuckle from somewhere very close to his ear. Ganon froze over cold, and gritted his teeth angrily.

From the Sage's finger tips, ten black spidery talons sat poised to rip out Ganon's throat. The hiss broke out into a fully fledged wicked laughter.

"You seem to forget where you are, your highness," The Sage whispered into his ear. "You are in my lair—where I am one with the darkness. You cannot defeat what cannot be felt or seen. Pray tell, how can you destroy a shadow?"

Ganon smiled widely.

"The answer is simple, your holiness," Ganon replied turning his head to look her dead in the eye. "If I cannot fight what cannot be seen, then I shall fight fire withfire..."

The Sages eyes widened merely at the glint of mischief in his eyes, and she instantly understood his meaning.

"Or, in this case," Ganon reiterated. "Shadow with shadow..."

Just behind both of them were two giant hands with ten massive fingers, poised upon its master's word to ensnare the sage in it's clutches.

"Crush her..." Ganon uttered.

One of the massive hands slammed down on the drum as hard as it could muster—disrupting the balance of the Sage and the lock she had on Ganon. Once free, Ganon took a single casual step forward (despite the reverberating surface), and turned a shoulder to watch the sage attempt to get back on her feet.

The beast waited until its maker had only stood up, albeit barely—the shockwave had undeniably shattered something in her fragile host's body—before side-swiping her with the other massive hand.

The Sage flew clear across the drum, bouncing once off the surface and rolling to a stop with a sickening series of cracks.

When the sage did not move for sometime Ganon actually began to wonder if he had overestimated the Sage's strength. He was not disappointed, however, as the Sage suddenly stirred and dragged herself to her feet.

Bones and tissue audibly melded themselves back into place in her body as the Sage began to rise. As she did so an intangible film of blackness covered every inch of her flesh.

All Ganon could see was a big white smile that was practically gleaming as her neck finally slid into place with a series of sickening cracks. The sage opened her eyes to see the exact look of fear and bewilderment she expected from her captor.

"This is _my _domain...you are not welcome in my shadows..." The sage hissed rapturously. "I shall enjoy exacting retribution for your ever trespassing in my precious darkness."

Ganon stood there contemplating his situation. If the sage actually escaped from him or forced him out somehow, it could very well mean that the last remaining icon could remain out of his reach for a very, very long time...and while he could not—would not let that happen, securing the Sage's body for his castle would be as easy as catching smoke with his bare hands.

The look on his face alone was enough to tell the Sage exactly what he was thinking, and she grinned even wider.

At once, Ganon's eyes glowered at the sage and he crossed his arms. His frustration with her had now reached its limit.

"Seize her," he commanded simply, lacking any hint of emotion. The pet obeyed immediately, and the two massive hands shot out from behind Ganon and streaked towards the black figure standing in the center of the drum.

The Sage laughed at the Beast spitefully and sprinted forwards straight at them. A smile spread over the Sage's face when she leaped straight through the two massive hands, ignoring them all together.

But it was Ganondorf's turn to smile now. To be honest, he was surprised that even the Sage couldn't see through her own Shadows. Nonetheless, it gave him all the time he needed to unleash his powerful Warlock's Punch just as the Sage jumped through the Beast's hands.

All the energy in stored in Ganondorf's fist exploded forward and carried him along with it much faster than the Sage could react to; and before it knew what had happened, the Sage was channeling all its power into simply keeping Impa alive.

When Impa awoke, she was hurtling backwards in the air, and barely had time to protect herself when she hit the drum's surface and rolled to a painful halt.

Ganondorf peered at Impa's unmoving body with confusion—perhaps he had overdone it a little?

After several moments of some growing tension on Ganondorf's part he was pleasantly surprised when Impa groaned and sputtered out a wet cough.

"Forgive me, I mistook you, Impa," Ganondorf said amicably, walking over to her. "I can now see you are indeed a worthy host for the Sage of Shadows...unlike some other misfits I have seen. But for now, may I suggest you end your struggle before you damage that precious body any more?"

Impa raised herself to her knees but fell back on all fours when she felt something slide around in her chest.

"Hah, you see? A few broken ribs, am I right?" Ganondorf stated obviously, amused at the state of her helplessness. "You're finished," he added with a twisted smile.

Impa's eyes flared up and she spat away some blood building up in her mouth.

"Who's finished?" She asked with a sneer.

Before Ganon was even able to comprehend what she said, Impa had thrown a smokescreen bomb towards him and almost instantly there was a thick cloud of purple smoke clouding Ganondorf's vision. He smiled knowingly and took a casual step forwards, dodging some circular throwing knives by mere centimeters.

Ganon looked back as if to spot whatever it was that nearly hit him, and in doing so dodged a second volley of knives from a different direction. From behind the smokescreen, Impa gritted her teeth and did her best to keep her rage from revealing her position.

No sound was made as she extended the metal claws in her gauntlets and sprinted into the cloud. As hopeless as things may have seemed, Impa refused to accept hopelessness as a means for defeat.

Faster than even Ganondorf could sense, Impa was suddenly on top of him in a fury of swipes at his throat. Impa swept her arm across at him and Ganon barely had time to lean back in order to avoid it before Impa attempted an upper cut to his stomach.

Ganondorf shifted his weight to the side while still leaning back and narrowly dodged her attack again. Impa, however, pivoted and initiated a smashing downward punch to his chest to knock him off his feet once and for all.

Impa's eyes were alight with nothing but pure shock when Ganon caught her wrist with the blades only inches from his chest. He flashed a wicked grin as he leaned himself back up and slowly began to tighten his grip.

The small rivets holding the claws in place bent before Ganon's strength and caused the claws to clatter to the ground.

"There is nothing you can do," Ganondorf said with pleasure.

In order to release herself Impa made a desperate swipe at his hand with her other free arm, and cried out in pain and dismay when Ganondorf disarmed her the same way.

"It is pointless to resist."

She tried wriggling away out of his grip when something suddenly slid around in her chest again and she fell to her knees, crippled with pain.

Ganon released her and stood over her with a mocking smile on his face.

"Do away with this struggle and accept your helplessness. You have no hope left!" He said, becoming slightly nervous she would die before reaching his castle.

"I WILL NOT!" Impa screamed at him, drawing a concealed dagger and lunging straight at his gut.

Before she knew it, Ganon had slammed her hands with his fist and caught her neck with the other. He chuckled long and slow as he raised her off the ground.

'I think we've danced long enough," Ganon said mockingly, raising his other hand and snapping his fingers.

Almost instantly a prisoner's crystal began forming around Impa. However, before the numbing sense could completely overtake her body, Impa slowly reached behind her back for her very last line of defense.

Ganondorf's eyes widened curiously when Impa suddenly withdrew a lit bomb and held it tightly against her chest.

Ganondorf laughed loudly at her, releasing her as the forming crystal kept her suspended in the air.

"And here I thought you were never going to give up," Ganondorf exclaimed. "But that is the epitome of hopelessness you are holding, Impa. Nay, that exceeds beyond hopelessness!"

The corners of Impa's mouth curled up slightly and her eyes flashed competitively at Ganon.

"That's where you are wrong," Impa corrected. "There's hope left even yet...I just won't see the outcome thats all..." She added solemnly, bowing her head.

Ganondorf understood her meaning at once. Impa _wasn't_ just giving up like he had first thought—far from it. Instead, Impa had realized long before that she was Ganondorf's one and only hope at finding the princess. By ending her own life, she would ensure that the secret would be kept forever safe.

Ganondorf's eyes widened with surprise as the fuse burned down to its last seconds. Time began to slow for the both of them.

Impa was on the last vestiges of her consciousness, all she wanted to see was just the look on Ganon's face before the end. She tried to raise her head to look, but the strength wasn't there. She felt so tired, and so cold.

Sound began leaving her senses until all she could hear was her own breathing. The world around her was beginning to fade into darkness, and she couldn't even feel the pain that was spread over her body anymore.

For a second, Impa wondered if she would die before anything happened, but then again what did any of that matter to her? The end would come one way or another.

The last thing Impa saw was Ganondorf rushing forwards at her before everything went dark.

Time, feeling, and even thought had suddenly left her there in the empty void with nothing but a swirling picture of a young man surrounded by even more darkness. With a heavy spirit and a tired mind, Impa isolated herself in the shadows, and watched.

* * *

Wow wow wow I cannot believe the time I took! I am sooooo sorry. I have one little thing to say about it though...I graduated! So it was worth it! (heh heh...right?) Seriously, no more high school, I'm done. I'll be heading for college soon though so no rest for the weary...

Ok, enough about me, more on this chapter. It turned out that I'm not going to do that little 'filler' chapter I talked about in my profile. It was too out of place and way random and so I decided to cut it out. I was designing both the filler and this chapter all at once. I had most of what you just read here, and a small structure of the final boss fight all on one freaking document.

It was getting long so I decided to cut it in half. I still have some interesting things outlined for the boss fight, so stay tuned. Although I'm not to proud of the fight in this chapter (sigh)

Oh yeah, and I have a confession to make. When I re-did the first three chapters of the story...I did the entire thing in the little word editor on the fanfic site, which of course...doesn't have a spell check (it was...pretty embarrassing). Go back and look it over if you're really that interested but in any case that much is fixed. Oh yeah, and I should have a minor-ly re-worked chapter 4 following very soon after I post this chapter.

Now...reviews...

**harrypotterfan**: Thank you x 5! Heh heh.

**Mystic Bohemian**: I understand perfectly. In fact, I went back and made the first few chapters a little more "up to date" I have you to thank for making those chapters better.

**Bvv31389**: Eh heh, thanks. I hope you enjoy the next few installments.

**SlayerIssac**: Thanks for reading it through. And, here you are with this one, I'm just sorry I couldn't pack it all in together.

**Greki**: Hey thanks, and likewise, I'm happy whenever I get a review, good bad early or late, its all good to me.

**Anonymous**: And I thought I was the only one who noticed the glaring lol. Although, it's not my intention to have him be Mr. Evileye all the time, so he still does have his comic moments. Although I'm thankful to hear you think I nailed his character down well.

Once again, thank you so much for reading. I hope to have the second part to this chapter up and running soon, so stay tuned!


	17. Heart of Darkness: Part Two

**Chapter Seventeen:**

**Heart of Darkness: **Part Two

* * *

In the depths of the Shadow Temple there was hardly any light by which to see anything. The light from Navi's body was a welcome sight every now and then, but it never penetrated far, and it was hardly ever now that she left Link's hat.

Sometimes, in the abnormal darkness, Link would indeed somehow be able to see the walls, walkways, traps, and puzzles. Although it was still dark, Link had no trouble seeing his way through these mysterious parts of the dungeon.

However, it was not what he could see that truly bothered him. It was when things went completely black and enveloped in darkness such that he could not see an inch in front of his face that truly worried him.

His concern wasn't spawned from fear of the dark—stumbling around in who knows what. Rather, it was that he, (for Din's sake) could not remember doing anything during these "dark times." Despite the fact that when the screen of darkness cleared and he could see again, Link would find that he had traversed a rather long way through the dungeon.

A slight superstition had settled in him by now that he indeed _hadn't_ stumbled around in the dark so quickly and so efficiently that he would come so far almost instantly. He couldn't remember even taking a step forward after the dark clouded his vision before it cleared again and found he had moved along quite a bit.

Link was even beginning to think that it wasn't himself at all that had steered him through the darkness and back into the "light."

The intense feeling of waking up in a place he did not recognize—a place that he could not remember falling asleep in was his best way to describe it. Although he couldn't deny that this place felt vaguely familiar as well...maybe for some reason he just knew his way around?

His thoughts suddenly wandered back to Navi and her warning for the first time since he entered the dungeon.

What had he said to her then? He couldn't remember even that! He remembered awaking to the feeling of which Navi spoke though...the instant the words had left her lips, that vague familiarity had settled over him and had refused to leave. If only he knew what it was...

Link continued thinking about Navi. She hadn't been herself ever since they entered. Yeah, sure, Link had practically dragged her in here, but _she _was the one who always used to drag him around. Since when had the tables been turned? And why was she so afraid of this place? Maybe it was that feeling she spoke of?

All things considered, Link still felt that there was something more to his partner that he was missing—more than she ever let on. But what?

Thoughts like these plagued Link's mind more and more as he traveled deeper into the crypts; and at the same time, the 'blind spots' kept happening more and more frequently.

At length, however, Link unlocked the last door with the master key and stood before the small hole for a moment before turning to his partner.

Navi however, was nearly oblivious to him and the fact that they were standing on the threshold of the Shadow Beast's lair. She was not paying attention to Link anymore; at the moment, she had greater, more terrible things on her mind.

For her entire time in the dungeon Navi had been dealing with the spirits of the dead. She could hear their voices, everywhere. Speaking nothing and speaking everything just for her—just because they knew she could hear them. Thousands—millions of them. All whispering at once except for those select few whose intention was to help her. She was in a place just like this once...

It was dark, it was cramped, there was death surrounding her at every turn—inhabiting even the very _feel_ of the air. She did not want to be here again—if not here, then in that place, someplace in time, cramped up in a little tomb, and sealed away from the light. Neither dead, nor living, but somewhere in the twilight between.

She was afraid now, and not even her attitude (which would stop at nothing just to keep up appearances) could keep up with her fear. Everything around her scared her—and yet the Hero by her side never seemed to notice...until now, that is.

"Navi!" Link shouted for the umpteenth time, causing her to jump and shriek a little.

"What?! What is it?" Navi shouted back from his hat, half terrified and half humiliated enough for her to hide from his view.

"Calm down..." Link said softly, gently resting his hand on the spot where he knew Navi was nestled in. "Just calm down..."

Navi listened to her partner and took a deep breath. The voices of the spirits had stopped speaking through the walls, as if sensing her fear and graciously letting her catch her breath.

"Thank you..." Navi said quietly, exiting from his hat to examine the room they were in.

This was the room that lead to the Shadow Beast—that much Navi could sense. It was rather small, however, and except for a small hole and a gloomy portrait on the wall there was nothing much of interest.

Navi glided over to the hole and stared down into it for a moment before flying back over to Link.

"Well? Shall we?" Navi asked expectantly, mentioning to the hole.

Link stared at the hole in front of him for a moment before glancing at his partner and raising an eyebrow.

"What? It's a hole," Navi said rhetorically, wondering why Link had hesitated.

"No, I was just wondering if you were ready," Link explained, and then turned away quickly when Navi shot him the most venomous glare.

"Ready?!' Navi burst indignantly, causing Link to flinch slightly. "Of course I'm ready! You worry about yourself!"

"Sorry, never mind then," Link said quickly, trying to fix his mistake as soon as possible.

Link walked over to the hole and took out his hookshot, releasing the chain just enough so that the hook grazed the floor.

"I don't know how far down it goes," Navi said in warning, knowing what Link was about to attempt. "You might run out of slack before you get to the bottom."

_Do not fear. Jump. You shall be caught in good hands..._

The hair on the back of Navi's neck prickled up and she froze over again.

"What is it now? What did they say this time?" Link asked, noticing her expression.

"They—they want us to jump...they say it's all right," Navi said haltingly.

Link's eyes narrowed distrustfully.

_Jump. Do not fear._

"Link, I—I don't think we have much of a choice," Navi said nervously, flying close to him.

Link sighed and put his hookshot back into his item sack.

"Alright then...here goes," Link said as he took a deep breath and plunged into the darkness.

xxx

In the Sacred Realm, Rauru the Sage of Light sat meditating upon a lone pillar towering high into the air. The sun was shining radiantly down on him, and the air was speckled with white clouds that moved lazily along the cool breeze...but despite his paradise, Rauru felt troubled.

It wasn't until a shadow began growing at the base of his pillar that he finally opened his eyes. Normally, Rauru might have thought the time was simply past mid-day, and the shadow's appearance was normal. But aside from knowing that in his paradise, the time _never_ changed from mid-day, Rauru sensed something strange about it, and gleaned at once that it was not any ordinary shadow.

"Well, Well...you are certainly bold showing your face around here," Rauru said knowingly.

A figure, dressed in the ornamental clothing of a sage stood below in the shadow of the pillar. It had leaned its back against the firm stone column and threw back its hood when Rauru spoke.

"Come now, I only came to wish you farewell," Sheik, the former sage replied.

"What has happened, why hasn't Impa absorbed your worthless soul yet?" Rauru commanded, ignoring his comment.

"Well, to put it simply, she detests me," Sheik said with a sly grin.

"If she had inherited your powers that wouldn't be a problem! Now fess up! What have you done this time?" Rauru growled, a vein in his forehead beginning to swell.

Sheik chuckled.

"Hah...so ill-tempered," he said, chiding Rauru like a child. "But fine, I've nothing to hide from you anymore."

Rauru peered at Sheik out of the corner of his eye. His old friend's manner had not changed one bit over the ages. And here Rauru thought Sheik might have learned his lesson by now...

"I indeed _was_ absorbed into Impa's being," Sheik began, "as a Sage that had awakened merely to Ganondorf's evil presence in my..._our_, shadows." He added, correcting himself.

"You did not need Link to break—" Rauru tried interjecting.

"In truth I had never even slept, Rauru," Sheik said, cutting him off. "Although, I do admit it was a rather personal matter that I—we were able to fuse so quickly. Impa was not my first choice for a host, you know."

"And so you've been sitting and doing nothing all this time then?" Rauru asked irritatedly.

"What could I have done? You know as well as I what fate would await me if I dared interfere with my _last _punishment."

"Indeed. Your people are extinct, but what else could _they_ take from you? Why didn't you do anything?"

"Well, that reason is partly why I am here," Sheik answered. "You know as well as I that individually we are no match for Ganondorf."

"HA! _I've_ been holding him at bay all this time...but does this mean that _you_ failed?!"

"Humiliating, yes I know,"

"How? And What happened?" Rauru asked curiously, wondering why his rival had fallen so easily.

"Well, I _was_ 'handicapped' you know...my sight isn't what it used to be..."

"How ironic," Rauru snorted.

"It's just that when he hit us...well. To be honest I feared for Impa's life! Right then and there I endowed her with _all _my power in hopes that her mortal body would sustain itself with my power as her aid." Sheik continued.

"And why are you here? You said--"

"By giving her all my power I also seemed to have lost the power that kept me bonded to her soul, and I was ejected from her entirely."

"Ah-h-h, so has she awakened to the evil then?"

"Well...it seems that Ganondorf has beaten her back into submission."

"_What?!_"

"She is quite unconscious as of now. I believe Ganondorf is using her broken body as a vassal of power for the barrier around his castle, just like the rest of our comrades. Although—and I must commend his skills—Ganondorf successfully sealed her spirit in the Sacred Realm so she could not awaken to him directly again. I'm afraid only the Hero of Time can awaken her now, but she will only exist with us—with you all, I mean—in the Sacred Realm."

"So she is no better off than the rest of us," Rauru said, sighing heavily and rubbing his face over with his hand.

"No...she is not," Sheik answered solemnly.

A moment of silence passed between the two.

"I just thought I would come and tell you the way of things...you know, since you can't see all of what was going on in there," Sheik said, almost sounding apologetic for the first time.

Rauru's expression softened a little.

"No, no, It's quite alright...thank you, old friend," he said, letting out a long sigh.

"Call it a peace offering," Sheik said, "I just wish to pass without lingering regrets...that is all."

"Do you know where you are going?" Rauru asked concernedly.

"No," Sheik said simply. "Try on the lifestyle of a Sheikan for awhile."

"And how is that, again?"

"Doubtful. Completely and utterly clueless of how one's life may turn out. We wander in the shadows only to return to the void of darkness from which all was born—but you knew that."

"Yes...Yes, I just wanted to hear you say that yourself," Rauru replied honesty, with a grin of his own. "It seems you have finally realized your mistakes," He added proudly.

"I learned from them the minute the consequences arrived," Sheik corrected reputedly, then looked up up to see Rauru directly.

Rauru looked down to meet his old friend's eyes.

"There are only a handful of my children left now because of _you_," Rauru said matter-of-factly, lacking any trace of emotion.

"It was all destined to come to this, you know that," Sheik said indignantly. "There is no shadow if there is no light. Conversely, there is no light if there is no shadow. Perhaps I doomed us both, but _I_ paid for it in full!"

"And yet you do not expect me to show even the slightest bit of resentment?"

"No," Sheik answered with a hard expression."We started it a long time ago, _together_, and when the time of choice came, _you _abandoned me and my people. If you resent me for doing only what I could when you weren't there to help me, then so be it—the Shadows are gone, we shall not bother you again."

Rauru swallowed and his brows furrowed disdainfully, but he did not bother arguing.

"The Time of the Hero was to be the Twilight of Hyrule itself, if he does not succeed, this realm will eventually fall back into the darkness and chaos from which it was born..." Sheik continued.

Rauru lowered his head.

"As thy parting gift, I shall journey to thy resting place and lend thou thy _sight, _for it is kept safe in the hands of thine Hero..." Sheik said softly in the archaic tongue, stepping away from Rauru's pillar. "Hopefully, thou shalt see thine Hero, and no other, standing at the end of the battle."

Rauru lapsed over in surprise.

"What? What do you mean to do with him?!" He cried.

"As a wandering spirit I cannot do much more than _that_, if he survives, I shall leave him to thou," Sheik said taking a few steps forward to the edge of the shadow. "If not, then the way of things shall be decided by my heir, and if she cannot awaken...I shall merely _hope _for the best."

With that, the wandering spirit once known as Sheik stepped beyond the boundary of the shadow, and disappeared instantly.

Rauru had extended a hand after him, but before any words could have been said, Sheik was already gone. Rauru sighed and returned to his meditation.

"Not even a "goodbye"..." Rauru muttered to himself, then smiled. "He hasn't even changed a bit..."

xxx

Thump!

Link grimaced as he hit the bottom, and—to his surprise, bounced and landed on his rear.

"'Jump' they say, oh what a _wonderful_ idea! Hey, while we're at it, why don't we just chop off my head and serve it to them on a silver platter!" Link shouted sarcastically.

"Oh don't be such a baby, you couldn't have asked for a softer landing," Navi retorted.

"That isn't the point--" Link started saying, but was interrupted when he was suddenly jounced back into the air.

THUMP! Tump, tump, tmp

"What the—?"

THUMP! Tump tump tmp

"Link, look there!" Navi cried, coaching her partner to her feet.

Link obeyed and was just barely able to catch a glimpse of a massive hand, severed at the wrist with its palm open before it slammed down on the floor, and sent him flying again.

THUMP Tump-tump-tmp!

The beat was picking up even as Link smartly somersaulted in midair and prepared to land upright this time on the reverberating surface. Coming down, the vibrating floor took away some of the stability in his legs and he fell to one knee.

Throughly annoyed at this point, Link lifted his head up to see a great red eye staring at him with delight. He glared back at it angrily.

THUMP-Tumptumptmp!!!

The floor, a drum by the looks of it, was composed of many strange colors—emitting a strange light that failed to illuminate anything except Link's body.

However, with each massive "THUMP" that would reset the beat, the light from the surface of the drum would pulsate brightly, then slowly fade.

At the moment the beating was so rapid that the drum hardly seemed to dim at all. Link was almost about to raise his arm to shield his eyes from the light when suddenly the beat slowed, and the Beast vanished.

As the light from the drum began to fade, shadows began to grow over Link's tunic; and, when everything was finally enveloped in darkness, Cage opened his blood-red eyes and a white, twisted smile spread itself across his face.

The Shadow Beast peered through the darkness and stared at the new hero with interest. It stopped beating the drum all together and it extended a hand to Cage in a beckoning gesture.

_Where art thou, hero? With light, or with the shadows? Homn, my Eye can see...your heart is pure, but thou art wrought of darkness. _

The smile disappeared from Cage's face.

_If thou shall stand by the light, thou shalt only walk as the shadow of the light...but if thou shall stand by the inherent shadow, thou shalt wander a meaningless existence—a mere shadow indiscernible from the rest of the darkness in the world. _

"And what would you have us do?" Nike cried out in dismay, flying out of Cage's hat.

_In darkness there is no guide—no means by which to see to whence the path you walk will lead...but embrace the power of the darkness I hath found, and I shall guide your every step..._

"Cage?" Nike asked.

Cage was staring intently at the Beast, as if he was looking for a confirmation in the truth or falsity of the Beast's words.

_Where art thou, hero? _

"What reason do I have to trust something such as yourself?" Cage demanded, he drew his sword.

The Beast laughed maniacally at the gesture.

_The truth__is that you don't _have_ any reason to believe me. You are a beast—a _monster_, just like myself. You were wrought of darkness but because of that you wander aimlessly in the darkness that surrounds you. You were tricked into believing that you could become the master of your own darkness—to reign in control over the light that suppressed you...and you believed in it with all your heart—you believed that it was what you really wanted—that it was your purpose!_

Cage's face twisted up in anger.

_I am just like you, young hero. But what is it that gives me the ability to exist without reason or purpose? _

"Ganondorf!" Cage burst vehemently.

_I was meant to serve as the guardian of the spirits of the noble Sheikah, but when they began to die out, I grew afraid. What would I do when there was nothing left to protect?_

"He tricked you too, damnit! Don't you see that?!"

_You are just like me, young hero—I know what is like to live in fear that you will live without purpose. Join me, in this void that I have created with the power of darkness...and I swear thou shalt not wander without purpose again._

Cage gritted his teeth snarled with bestial vigor.

"Let's get one thing straight here, _cyclops_," Cage asserted, pointing his sword at the Beast.

"I'm _not_ like you," he growled, then cried at the top of his lungs, "I'm not afraid!", leaping into the Beast's open hand.

"Don't _ever_ make that mistake!" Cage yelled, stabbing his sword deep into the Beast's palm.

The Beast cried out in agony and Cage jumped out of its grasp just before the other hand came to its counterpart's aid.

"Savvy?" Cage added with a twisted smile.

The Beast rubbed its hands together so as to heal the wound and it stared at Cage with contempt and dismay.

_Homn...very well then, _the beast said venomously. _I shall be your escort to oblivion!_ It added, slamming down on the drum with all its might and the strange light filled the cavern.

_THUMP! _Tump-tump-tmp!

Link tumbled to the surface of the drum after being flung back into the air by the massive shock wave.

"On your feet, Link!" Navi warned, eying one of the hands as it flattened and hovered one foot over the drum.

The hand skimmed over the surface towards them no more than a heartbeat after Link had climbed back to his feet. At the last second, Link dove forwards and avoided the hand as it swept under him by a few scant inches.

Rolling to his feet, Link looked frantically about him for his targets. The Great Eye itself had disappeared, while the hands circled about him ominously.

"A plan would be nice!" Link shouted to Navi impatiently.

"Take out his hands, first. We need some time to think!"

Link took out his bow, hoping to hit the hands from long range. The arrows practically flew from his quiver to his hand as Link shot a string of arrows at a hand on the other side of the drum.

It was getting dark.

"Behind you!!!" Navi screamed.

Link barely had time to turn around before the other hand balled into a fist and slammed it down on the drum directly behind him. Link rocketed forwards from the sheer energy of the impact and twisted around in mid air to fire a single arrow at the other hand.

The arrow hit its mark, and Link barely had time to see the hand writhe in agony before crashing to the ground.

With no hands to beat the drum, the light in the room faded into black.

Cage shook his head blearily and got to his feet. Looking around him, he found both hands desperately trying to pull the arrows out of each other. But where was the eye?

_Use the Lens of Truth, Cage. _Said Nike, thinking synonymously along side him. _That Beast's darkness is tainted and foul, the Lens should allow you to see right through it._

Cage smiled and drew the Lens of Truth from his item sack. An ironic perk of sharing a body with his alter-ego was that whatever Link owned, Cage now owned as well.

As soon as his hand touched the handle, it vanished in a quick burst of violet light and reappeared on the handle of his bow (still in hand), but as something different.

Cage momentarily stared at his new bow. It had changed its color to the same metallic purple as the Lens of Truth. The arches of the bow now appeared a little sharper than before, and the horns that had once been apart of the Lens now sat equidistant from each other on the bow—two on the arches, and one in the center. The Lens itself became an empty ring surrounding the narrow slit of darkness which now served as the bow's handle.

More useful to Cage however, rather than the new bow itself, was that his vision was now clouded with a red haze with a clear circle in the center. It was only in a matter of seconds that Cage finally found the eye staring back at him in surprise.

The Great Eye lapsed in shock. However, it was not the surprise of finding its opponent knowing its exact location that startled it. Rather, it was that familiar presence it sensed held in the hands of the darkened hero.

Sacrificing some pain on its own part, the beast gently beat down on the drum and the strange light pulsated different than before, only partially illuminating everything in the room.

For the briefest second, the Eye saw the worst of all its fears standing before him—the ghost of its late master, the one whom it had betrayed by succumbing to evil, smiling wickedly as it manifested itself in the Lens of Truth—retaking the burden it had once so willingly tossed aside.

The light was not fading. Cage paused to notice this as he notched an arrow. Technically, he shouldn't even be able to be in control when the light was present in the first place. Could Cage be sure it was he, _himself_ aiming the bow? Yes, Cage _was_ in control, but something was not right.

Link was there, Cage could feel him—he could feel Link practically beside him; emulously trying to gain the upper hand. But besides Link there was someone _else_ there too. Someone who was both aiding and preventing Link from fully breaking the surface.

Cage could feel the desire for revenge practically emanating from the omniscient presence. He smiled—knowing that, just like himself, the only thing that it desired in this realm was revenge.

Cage pulled the shaft back, and for a moment, he hesitated.

Cage wanted revenge—that was all..._Was_ that all Link desired? No, there had to be something else besides that. Cage tried searching for the answer but nothing else that could explain his own existence came to mind.

_There is no purpose to me..._Cage thought, now fully comprehending the Beast's meaning. _I must have a purpose somewhere—other wise I would not exist without one!_

_Look to _me_ for your purpose...and I shall look to _you_ for mine. _Came Link's answer, and Cage smiled in spite of himself.

_If that is true..._

_Then we have the same goal._

_To kill Ganondorf, our creator, and anyone who follows him!_

_Because it is the right thing to do!_

_Because of what he has done to us!_

"We will beat him together!!!" The Hero cried.

In the partial light that illuminated the room, the hero stood half cloaked in light, and the other in darkness.

The Beast was able to see the unison clearly. Wherever the light shined upon it the tunic was green, and everywhere else the tunic was as black as the shadows. Half the hero's face was lit, with a cold, strangely luminescent blue eye penetrating through the dark; and the other half of the face, masked by the shadows was not visible save for a fierce, blood-red eye that was burning like hell's own inferno.

At that moment, time seemed to return to normal, and the hero released the shaft on his bow. The arrow shot through the darkness and struck the Shadow Beast with a vengeance.

The stunned Beast landed with an enormous "THUMP!" and Link sprinted across the drum with the Biggoron Sword trailing behind him. As he neared the Beast's eye he leaped forwards in the air and threw his body into a flip.

The Biggoron Sword arced gracefully in the air and came crashing down on the Beast with so much force that there was enough momentum left over to carry the blade around and strike again!

The Beast cried out in agony and a fountain of blood in the form of black flames issued from the wound and splashed all over Link and the drum; then slowly began burning away into nothing.

Link didn't mind the flames—in fact, they didn't harm him at all, save for the fact that there was something distinctly foul about their presence. Then suddenly Link felt it—a single blow that burned horribly and sent him reeling to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, and as soon as he did so, he was hit again.

_What the—What's hitting me, Navi?!_

_I think we're surrounded, but I can't see through all these flames! Use the Lens! _She answered.

Link complied and his vision was filled with hundreds of tiny little beings. The flames had all but burned out, and all that remained were tiny entities of tainted darkness. Their bodies were nothing more than small balls of shadow with a pair of glowing orange eyes.

Link immediately raised his Biggoron Sword and lapsed over in surprise when he noticed that it had changed its form as well.

Its hilt was now the same color as the lens, as well as the archaic Sheikian runes and patterns that ran all along the broad side of the blade, which now looked more like a butcher knife than the tapered-tipped original. The blade was also slightly broader, and its handle slightly longer. The lens itself had moved to the very bottom of the handle.

The Beast had recovered and took to the air right behind Link. Its minions began swarming around Link, ready to attack upon the command of their master. Link eyes swept over each one of them and they cowered under his sight—or so it seemed.

In truth, every one of the monsters was not afraid of the light that stood before them (they were safer from the light _here_ than anywhere else); rather it was the wrathful eye of their own creator that they feared the most. Oh, it may have _looked_ like a sword in the hands of the hero, but the traitorous spirits could feel its burning gaze upon each and every one of them.

Link's expression turned to stone, and he began to swing his sword furiously in wide sweeping motions in an attempt to reduce their numbers. A couple minutes went by in this manner before Link felt fatigue kick him in the side (literally). It seemed like there was no end to the shadowy tide of monsters. He lowered his sword and panted heavily—resisting the urge to clench his ribs and get rid of the cramp. The Beast laughed loudly at him.

Although Link wasn't able to discern the chain of automaton hums and grunts as 'laughing,' he gleaned the general idea anyway. Link snarled angrily at the Beast.

"What the _hell _are these things, anyway!?!" He shouted irritatedly.

The Beast laughed some more.

_Homn, humn...so blind...So very blind you are! Take heed, child of Twilight—thou beholds only hearts of darkness infused with desires and malicious intent! And the hearts of pure darkness thy watch over._

Then suddenly Link saw them—what looked like an aurora of the mystic light of the drum was actually a sea of people...a sea of souls floating just beyond the rim of the drum.

_Homn...the desperate man in search of a way to feed his starving family, the greedy thieves that stalk behind houses, the sorrowful lover of a fallen hero—each and every one with longing and desire in their hearts succumbed to this power of darkness._

Link stared with wide eyes at the souls of the Sheikan people...all those who had not turned into the Beast's minions watched on expressionlessly. All of them had their lifeless eyes fixated upon him. Link couldn't tell what it all meant, but at this point Link felt he didn't need to know. He raised his sword back up and his head lowered into his chest.

"You...you twisted _bastard_..."

It was only a hiss of a sound but everything in the chamber could hear it. At once the Beast ceased its laughing and beating of the drum—darkness began to consume everything. The tiny shadows froze, and a forgotten light made its way into the eyes of the Sheikah—as if they had taken heart at the sound of _its_ voice.

"...this thing you have done, will _not_ be forgiven!"

Cage raised his head and growled with all the likeliness of some savage beast.

Cage was not smiling. His face was the very object of fear itself—beheld in the eyes of his enemies. The lesser minions that surrounded him fled in terror and cowered under their master.

_Homn...What is this? Thou art a shadow, and yet thou readily stands in the light to betray the darkness. Thou art surely corrupt to betray thine only bretheren._

"I won't have you speak to _me _of betrayal..." Cage hissed, taking steps towards the beast. "You twisted the hearts of the innocent and guilty alike to fit your own desires...and those whom you could not corrupt became slaves to your will, and so even in death they are prisoners of a pitiful existence...I have to say it seems a little familiar..."

At once a wave of the tiny dark beings issued forth and crashed down on Cage in an attempt to keep him from the Beast. It was only a moment before they all were incinerated by a great dome of fire, and Cage continued on.

The beast laughed at Cage's self-righteous vigil.

_Ha ha ha, why dost thou persist? Doest thou presume yourself to be fit to judge me? _

"You _really_ don't understand me," Cage answered bringing his head up to get a straight glance at the Beast.

The Beast visibly flinched when the infernal eyes locked with his; and, for a moment, the Beast wondered if it should fear this incarnadine monster.

"I'm not here to _judge_ you," Cage said; and, seeing the Beast shudder, a wicked grin found its way back to Cage's face. "I'm just here to set things right!" he added, breaking into a full sprint.

The Beast growled angrily and sent its left hand streaking out at Cage, who rolled out of the way at the last moment, and then rolled back to his feet. The right hand then came sweeping across the drum like a brick wall in an attempt to swat Cage off the drum all together. Cage dove forward and hit the drum flat on his face. Not more than a second later, the right hand rushed over and barely grazed Cage's sheild (another shirt and he wouldn't have made it). Nonetheless, the force of the scant miss was enough to force Cage into a sideways roll for several meters. Consequently, the world appeared rather sideways to Cage when he attempted to stand up again.

Nike smartly chose this time to guide Cage in the right direction of the beast so that he could worry about running and keeping himself upright at the same time. She knew that direction was all he needed—he would take care of the rest. A couple paces later, Nike felt that they were close enough and her body instantly turned bright red.

Cage acknowledged the signal by flailing the Biggoron Sword about in front of him in wide furious strokes. Inevitably, the sword found its mark and what seemed like gallons of black flaming blood sprayed out from the wound. The Beast's distorted cry of agony alone was enough to bring Cage back to his senses.

_Treachery! _The Beast cried, covering its massive eye. _Doest thou realize that I am charged with the guidance of these souls?!_

Cage suddenly felt a burning sensation all around him—as if the blood had really turned to real flames. He cried out in agony and stumbled out of the inferno on his hands and knees.

_Thy charge is to bestow peace to these souls by giving them order! Wouldst thou take that away from countless hearts of darkness? Wouldst thou through their souls to the wind and let them wander? Nay! What I choose to do with them is thy birthright! _

Cage's eyes flared furiously. At once he was on his feet and unleashing the wrath of his Spin attack on the hundreds of tiny shadows he knew were responsible for the burning. In only a moment's notice, he had cleared a sizable area of the drum and stood at rest in the center—seemingly daring the shadows to attack him. A moment of silence passed as Cage contemplated the Beast's words.

He looked at the army of shadows surrounding him. Every time that he hurt or threatened their master—countless souls would resign themselves to oblivion and attack him in what appeared to be in an act of unwarranted fearlessness. But, having seen fear move through their numbers like a wave, Cage understood that none of these monsters were even capable of a 'fearless' act, unless directly ordered by their master. However, the shadows seemed to move independently of their master's will, as if they all shared the same idea—but what could cause such a efficient cohesion of thought in countless souls?

_Don't think too hard, Cage, _Nike chided, although there was a definite tone of pride in her voice. _The answer is simple—fear. They don't want to die, but they will _all _die if you kill their master. You, Cage, are a threat to their survival; so, if it means survival of the race, each and every one of them would willingly lay down their lives for the protection of the whole. It may be true that their hearts were corrupted, but even so their only wish is to exist._

A pang of guilt struck Cage's heart like an arrow. Presently, he looked to the sea of ghosts, who stared back at him expectantly.

_And what about the others—the ones who resisted corruption? _Cage continued, swallowing uneasily.

Nike's body dimmed considerably.

_Who can say, Cage? _She answered. _All we can do is console in the fact that they will no longer be the prisoners of evil._

Cage lowered his head and raised sword. The Sheikah watched on intently.

"For what I am about to do...I can only beg for your forgiveness..." Cage said softly into the cavern.

"The decision rests with you..." he added, almost in a whisper, as he suddenly surged forward for the final strike.

At once the sea of ghosts began revolving around the edge of the drum like a giant luminescent ring of mystic light.

The tiny beings of shadow snaked across the drum like a river of darkness to intercept Cage in his sprint towards the Beast. Cage did not hesitate or slow his pace but rather made giant swings with his sword to swath a path through his enemies. The hands came next, plowing through the darkness with their fingers poised to strike. As one drew close, Cage made a deadly swipe at it with his sword. The hand however, stopped short at just the last moment and the strike missed dismally. Cage stumbled and tried to regain his balance but then hundreds of shadows suddenly leaped up and dragged him down.

It felt to Cage like a fire had erupted along his entire body. With arms kicking and flailing he desperately tried to get the shadows off of him in any way he could. It was only a matter of seconds after he had cleared some of the darkness from his vision that he noticed a giant massive hand floating threateningly above him...

"_Move_, _now_!!" Nike screamed.

In a heartbeat, Cage kicked his legs out to the side, pushed off the drum with his arms and twisted around in midair—Biggoron Sword and all—to avoid the hand as it came crashing down on the space he had just vacated. The force of the blast somehow kept him airborne long enough for him to twist his body back into a position to land on his feet.

He was breathing heavily now. A cut that he had received on his brow now trickled blood down the side of his face. For the brief second, Cage wondered if he would be killed before he actually reached the wounded Beast.

His thoughts were all but short lived. As soon as Cage had taken his moment's reprieve, the shadows reared upon themselves and attacked with more vigor than ever. As soon as it started, Cage knew he wouldn't even have time to lift his sword...He gazed ahead at defeat with a stolid glare. Then, just when Cage thought he should be dead, he heard a strange sound float past his ears and suddenly his vision was clouded by the apocryphal light of the Sheikan souls.

At once a chorus of thousands of souls echoed through the cavern. If it were any other being than Cage or Nike, the song of the dead would have terrified the life out of anything or anyone that may have heard it. Nike knew that it was this song that the souls had been singing to her altar-ego, Navi. Singing and chanting in a bone-chilling collection of automaton hums and wails—speaking nothing and speaking everything through their song, just for her—only because she was once like them.

Now the choir sang for all of them. Perhaps it was their way of letting Cage know that they had made their decision.

Cage was soon able to make out the bodies of the souls engaged in combat with their corrupted brethren—forming a regimental barrier between him and the shadows. A knowing smile made its way to Cage's face and he at once resumed his charge through shadows and light alike. He was nearly there...

The hands came at Cage again—this time flying straight at him with their thick fingers outstretched so as to ensnare him in his grasp. Cage waited until one was practically on top of him before making a nimble leap between the first hand's fingers. The second hand, however, was quick to react and snatched Cage right in midair. The hand attempted to crush him but instantly recoiled on itself when Cage pushed the bladed part of his sword into the palm of the Beast's hand. Then, before it could drop him (the hand had raised high enough above the drum to ensure a fatal fall), Cage clambered through the fingers and emerged on the backside of the beast's hand.

Below him, the bleeding Eye sat, immobile on the edge of the drum. For a second, time seemed to slow as the eye of the beast met the eyes of the hero.

The beast paused in thought. They were the same—that was for sure. If it was true that the only difference between them was that Cage was not afraid of living a meaningless existence, then should it fear him for that reason alone? It seemed so strange that a battle between two forces of equal power wouldn't result in a draw, but the beast knew that it faced defeat at the hands of the hero above him—was it really fearlessness that ensured victory?

"Fear the one who fears none," Nike whispered into the cavern. "learn to do as I have done..."

A twisted smile pasted itself onto Cage's face, and he raised his sword. At once the ghosts came spiraling up to their master's call. Cage jumped off the hand, and the ghosts followed him, spinning and shrinking into a cone-helix of mystic light around Cage's sword.

"Because there is nothing else you can do..."

At that moment, time sped back up, and Link came crashing down on the Beast with all the fury of the restless souls of the Sheikah. All those whom had not been absorbed into the being of Cage's sword now served to shoot in and rip apart all that remained of the Beast. The corrupted shadows burst from the beast only to writhe in agony as they burned into nothing. Soon the entire drum was covered in black flames. Cage waded through the blood and flames to the mound of black flesh at the center that was quickly shrinking and dissipating. At length the rest of the shadows burned themselves into oblivion and all that was left of the beast was a single, tiny ball of shadow similar to the lesser shadows it once commanded.

The only difference Cage could discern was that this shadow being had only one large and luminous Sheikan eye. He stood before it and raised his sword for the final blow, but stopped when its voice reached his ears.

_Nooo, masterrr, pleeease! _The shadow cried.

Its voice would've sounded childish if it wasn't so distorted, but nonetheless Cage could practically _feel _the fear in its voice. His arm froze against his will...

_I'm sorrry masterrr, please believe me! Please don't master, don't let him kill mee!_

Cage felt a tear run down his own face. Surprised, he wiped it away quickly and wondered just what exactly moved him to tears for such an undeserving beast. He gritted his teeth and decided that he had waited long enough. Cage tried once more to finish off the shadow with his sword, but his arm would not follow his commands...something inside him was stopping him against his will.

_Masterrr! I'm hurt and I'm scared, please forgive meee!_

"What you have done shall _not_ be forgiven!' Cage roared, futilely urging his limbs to move. "Not until I've beaten you for good!"

The terrified little shadow then began to cry and shake all over.

_Hero...thou hath done enough..._ Another voice uttered. The new voice was soft but firm—Cage was almost sure he had heard it somewhere before...

At once a single ghost appeared in front of him. Cage did not recognize the man's face.

_Thine mission is accomplished, hero...lower thine sword, and revel in thine victory._

Cage obeyed the first command and let the rage flood out of him. He began to feel guilty—as if he shouldn't have scared the little shadow so badly. He almost wanted to apologize.

_Worry less for thy pet, and more for thine partner, hero. She is the one thou hath terrified the most._ The ghost said, reading his mind.

Cage's eyes widened and at once a rush of adrenaline swept over his body along with feelings of disbelief, and guilt, among others.

"_What?_" Cage said incredulously.

The ghost then knelt down to the shadow, reached out with his hand and closed the eye of the shadow. The little beast instantly stopped quivering and a moment passed while it seemed to calm down some.

_I...I'm sorry master..._ The shadow whispered.

_I know._ The ghost answered softly. _It's time for you to go on ahead...I will find you one day._

"That's not true!" Cage bellowed at the ghost, only to be ignored. He turned to Nike with a look on his face that begged for reassurance. Nike could only look back at him helplessly.

"...Is it?" he whispered after she did not answer.

The shadow sighed and then melted off into the darkness, leaving behind it a whole and pure heart. The ghost stood back up and glowered at Cage, who was still shocked by the thought that Nike was scared of him.

_I hope you find your feet, hero. And truly hope that my sight has shed some light on that little bit of darkness—on the question of where you stand. Choose wisely, that is my only advice to you..._

And without another word, the ghost faded away leaving Cage and Nike in the dark.

_One day the dreamers died within us  
When all our answers never came  
We hid the truth beneath our skin but  
Our shadows never looked the same_

A ghost is all that's left  
Of everything we swore we never would forget  
We tried to bleed the sickness  
But we drained our hearts instead  
We are, we are the dead

And when we couldn't stop the bleeding  
We held our hearts over the flame  
We couldn't help but call it treason  
After that we couldn't fill our frames  
After that our shadows never looked the same

A ghost is all that's left  
Of everything we swore we never would forget  
We tried to bleed the sickness  
But we drained our hearts instead  
We are, we are the dead

In summers past we'd challenge fate  
With higher pitch and perfect aim  
And standing fast, we'd radiate  
A light we loved but never named  
But the answers never came  
And our shadows never looked the same

A ghost is all that's left (we are the ones who lost our faith)  
Of everything we swore we never would forget (can we be saved?)  
We tried to bleed the sickness  
But we drained our hearts instead  
We are, we are the dead (we are the ones who lost our faith)  
A ghost of everything we thought but never said (can we be saved?)  
We tried to bleed the sickness  
But we drained our hearts instead

We are the ones who lost our faith  
We dug ourselves an early grave  
We are the dead, can we be saved? 

xxx

* * *

...Wow, another long time since I last posted. What has it been? Like an entire freaking semester of college? Yeah, that's about it.

Well, that's about it for this chapter. I will say here and now that I'm not to proud of the ending. Although I like how well the song fits the chapter (in my opinion). Speaking of which, the song is "All That's Left", by Thrice. I wanted to put it in between the text like the last song, but I'm not as sure that it would've worked as well. It's Kind of an old song, but it was the original inspiration for this chapter wayyyyy back when I was thinking up all my core ideas. Also speaking of which this is another core idea of mine outta the way. Tell me what you think about it. I may go back and revise chapter 16 because it was so horribly patched together like some frankenstory, and not really well-edited.

Um...I apologize if this chapter seems a bit rushed at times. Believe it or not, but I wanted to keep the main parts as simple as possible so they'd be easier to understand. When I look back at it though, it seems like several key points in the chapter are only a sentence long ::shrugs::. Oh, well. Tell me if you like this better than my normal, text-book...ness...

...I refuse to call the boss Bongo Bongo...such a freaking turn off to such an awesome boss. Sorry if "Beast" got a little redundant every now and then. But isn't bongo bongo redundant too? This may or may not be the end of Cage. Like I've said before, the ending here wasn't really all that great, so I'll probably give him a bit of closure in the next chapter...or two, heh heh.

Oh yes, and before I hit the reviews, I also want to say that I was originally intending to post the re-done version of chapter 4, but due to the fact that I made it way to emo (ugh), I'll need some more time to go back through and edit it again.

Ok, now, without further ado...

xxx

**Greki: **Yeah about the time thing, what's with that, eh? Heh heh j/k. If you noticed a style change in that chapter, it may very well be that my own style has changed with out me knowing it, or it's just because that last chapter was thrown together kinda haphazardly...I really hope its the second one lol.

**LunaticPandora1: **Well, sort of. The way I'm trying to spin it, it's not necessarily their individual powers that he gets (although that would be kinda cool). Rather, each time they add their strength to his, he gains 'something' much more valuable. That's as much spoiler as you get though, heh heh. It will become a little more obvious what exactly he gets in return in the next couple chapters or so.

**ClanCrusher:** heh heh heh, it's those sorts of things that make me want to fill in all the gaps, you know? Hopefully this chapter closes the book on that particular question. Oh, and I kinda doubt anything nintendo could do would be longer than a FF cutscene hehe.

Thanks for reading everyone and keep those reviews rolling.


	18. Twilight Hour

**Chapter Eighteen:**

**Twilight Hour  
**

* * *

**  
**

The moon was just over the horizon when Link, Navi, and Epona finally sauntered through the gates of Lon Lon Ranch. After they had walked some of the way to the stables, Link dismounted and gave Epona a slight tap on her neck. Epona snorted softly and walked the rest of the way to the stables on her own. Link continued on to the house and was about to knock on the door when a soft melody drifted past his ears...

Out in the field, Malon was privately singing her mother's song. For Malon, singing was really her only pass-time other than visiting her friends in Kakariko. Having little to no time during the day, the night was the only time she could devote to singing on her own. Despite the fact that it was widely known that Malon had a beautiful voice, she only sang her mother's song when she was alone. Besides, she preferred it this way, when no one was watching, when the air was cool, and the only sound that resounded through the field was her voice.

Link walked over to the corral, rested his arms on the fence and simply listened to the song. He knew the song well—having played it numerous times to summon Epona, but Link couldn't deny the fact that it sounded much better when Malon sang it as compared to his ocarina. Link closed his eyes and exhaled.

It wasn't very long at all before Malon's song reached the ears of Epona, and lured her out into the field. Link smiled as he heard Epona trot by, it seemed Malon was in for a bit of a surprise.

Out in the field, Malon was just about to finish her song and turn in for the night when she finally heard the sound of horse hoofs on the grass. Startled, she turned around to meet none other than Epona, who nuzzled up to her eagerly. Malon's surprise quickly turned into delight when she realized who her visitor was and stroked Epona's forehead affectionately. Curious as to whom she owed this pleasant surprise, Malon leaned to the side to get a good look around Epona and found none other than Link smiling at her from the gate of the corral. Taking Epona's reigns, Malon walked over to greet him.

"Well, back so soon?" Malon asked playfully as she approached him.

"Oh, you know...just passing through," Link replied with a grin.

"Oh, really? So...what's the damage report this time? Am I going to have to fix you up again?"

Link stood away from the fence and checked himself over—nothing life threatening it seemed, but in Link's case you could never be too sure.

"Well it looks like you took a bit of a beating, but at least you're not bleeding all over the place this time," Malon observed, strangely lacking her usual reprimanding tone.

Link was about to reply when he suddenly tasted blood in the back of his mouth, he instead put on a rather casual face and decided that it would be best if he absorbed his newly acquired heart container before the night was over.

"So, what's the story this time?" Malon asked expectantly.

"Huh? Oh, it's a bit of a long one though," Link answered.

"I've got time," Malon said with a grin.

"Well, alright...So, I left here and went to the forest for a little bit—you know, just to visit. Turned out that most of the kids there are still a bunch stuck-up brats, so I didn't stay long. Then, I go to Kakariko Village and it was the strangest thing..."

Link then proceeded to tell Malon a great deal of his 'adventures' from the time he left until the time he returned. Malon, in turn, listened intently. In truth, she really wasn't expecting Link to tell her anything. It seemed that today turned out to be a good day for pleasant surprises. She also couldn't shake the feeling that something in Link had drastically changed...in fact, she would have been crazy to miss it. From the very first smile he gave her, Malon knew inside that Link had changed for the better, and she couldn't help but feel happy for him.

Meanwhile, back at the stable, Ingo and Talon were watching the two silently, exchanging glances periodically. At length, Ingo decided to give Talon a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"C'mon, I'll get you a drink," he said, entering the stable.

"Erm...yeah...Yeah I sure could use one 'bout now," Talon admitted truthfully, scratching his head. He turned to follow Ingo, but stopped short for one more glance at the corral. What he saw only confirmed the fact that he wasn't dreaming; but to a man whose only treasure was his daughter, Talon could not help but feel like it was unreal somehow, and that at any moment he would wake up from this dream and everything would be back to normal.

Presently, Talon chuckled to himself and wiped the corners of his eyes as he walked into the stables.

xxx

"Well, well, well..." a deep voice muttered. "You failed me..."

"I didn't fail anyone..." a young voice replied instinctively.

"Yes, you did...You failed me and my plans, and worst of all you have failed yourself..."

"That's not true!"

"You're pathetic...To think that you abandoned your mission for something so _insignificant_!"

"Don't talk about her like that!"

"I created you...I took the power of your hate and conviction and made them your sword and shield, I took the anger and passion and made them your drive, and most of all I created all these within you from the beginning. You wouldn't even exist if it weren't for me!"

"Nothing will come of my existence save for more sorrow...I will make you pay for bringing me into this world...Mark my words..."

"And marked they are, insolent whelp! You shall pay for your failure with your life, and with it, the life of the one to whom you cling like some vile parasite!"

"Don't underestimate me, dear father. I will make you regret everything you have done..."

"Come then, I'll be waiting for you, my dear son—my flawed masterpiece!"

xxx

Link woke from the dream with a start. He panted heavily in stupefaction, not wanting to believe what he had just dreamed but knowing deep down that it was true. In fact there was no denying it.

"He's still alive! Damnit, he's still here! Why is he still here, Navi?!" Link burst incredulously.

"I-I don't know," Navi answered truthfully, suppressing some of her own shock. "It's likely he never left in the first place..." she added after a moment.

Link cradled his head agitatedly and rested his elbows on his knees.

Up until now, Link believed that he had really won. He thought himself foolish now for thinking that it was really over; all the same, Link never would have known if Ganondorf hadn't reached out to Cage in his dreams...and gotten an answer.

A soft knock came at the door.

"Link? Are you alright?" Malon asked softly, timidly cracking the door open.

Link was suddenly aware that he had made a commotion, and he flushed a bit in embarrassment.

"Yeah...I'm fine...I'm just fine," Link answered, unsure of himself.

Malon frowned.

"It doesn't sound like it..." she stated obviously, then after a moment of calculating the look on his face she added, "it sounds to me like you had another nightmare..."

Link broke eye contact with her and his gaze dropped to the floor.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Malon asked carefully.

Suddenly, Link discovered that this moment was déj'å vu. In an instant he remembered what he had done the first time, and virtuously decided that he would not repeat mistakes he made in the past (least of all mistakes made by the person he was then).

Link glanced at her and made a motion with his head that told her she was welcome to come in and sit down.

And in the next moment, when Malon had set herself down beside him, Link suddenly dawned upon a sense of calm and confidence; he felt like he could tell her everything about anything there was to talk about. He smiled inwardly in spite of himself—knowing how blind and childish he must have been to have ignored a feeling like this before.

Without further hesitation, Link began to tell Malon everything there was to know about himself and most of all, Cage. Every question she asked, he would answer truthfully and faithfully to the best of his knowledge. The conversation began to stretch into minutes, then hours; presently, Navi glided over to the windowsill and listened to them with a smile on her face. She was happy Link had found someone he could talk to besides herself.

And so she listened to them talk all through the rest of the night, and into the gathering twilight of the dawn.

xxx

Later that morning, Link had resolved to leave for the desert—figuring that he had postponed finding the team of carpenters long enough. After checking through all his gear and sitting through a strangely uneasy (yet nonetheless delicious) breakfast with Talon, Link finally made way his way to the stable where Epona was waiting for him. Link was almost ready to saddle up and leave when he suddenly heard someone clear a throat behind his back.

He turned to find Malon looking at him rather dejectedly.

"I guess it would be pointless to ask you to stay just a bit longer?" She asked.

"You know I would if there weren't so many people counting on me," Link answered with a rueful smile.

"I figured as much," Malon said lowering her gaze. "It's only that you just arrived last night..."

A moment of uneasy silence passed before Link attempted to cheer her up.

'Don't worry, this time around I'll come back plenty beat up," Link said with a smirk, climbing onto Epona's saddle.

Malon tried to suppress a giggle at the remark but she couldn't hide the smile that had appeared on her face.

"Alright, I'll be ready with the bandages and ice pack when you get back," Malon retorted.

Link bade her farewell and was about to spur Epona when Malon caught his attention one last time.

"Link," Malon said quickly, seeing that he was about to ride off. "You willcome back _soon_...won't you?"

Link stared at her a moment, then smiled.

"Yeah...soon," he answered assuringly.

With nothing else left to say, Link spurred Epona into action and made off at a gallop towards the desert.

As Link was riding across the fields, he came to think about everything that had transpired earlier that day and the night before. In just that short time, Link had come to realize that perhaps there really was a life outside of what his quest gave him—a _real_ future that awaited him at the end of his labors. As images of the ranch and Kakariko village played across his mind, Link came to think that perhaps there really existed a place that he could call home. Link remembered the faces of all the surviving Hylians and wondered if perhaps one day he could find his place among them. Link then thought about Malon, and about how she had always been there to care for him in whatever way she could. For a moment, Link wondered if maybe she was a part of the future he had envisioned—he wondered what part she might play, and came across the possibility that maybe...just maybe...

Suddenly, a slight revulsion pulsed up from deep within Link's heart before he could even finish the thought. It rebelled against everything Link had just thought possible, and would not subside until he stopped thinking about the future all together. Without a doubt, Link knew that the forgotten fire had kindled itself once again, and with each attempt he made to smother it out, it only grew stronger.

There was nothing he could do to stop the chain of events that he knew were now in motion. If ever there was a future for him, Link knew that this feeling needed to be dealt with permanently before he faced the end of his journey. If he couldn't do at least _that_ then there was no way he could show his face in those places, to those people, or to _her_, ever again.

* * *

...What? I can't write a short chapter now??? Eh heh, actually in truth I was suffering from a small case of writers block near the end of this chapter. I just didn't know what else to add after I had finished writing. Anyway i was thinking of adding a good song into the text but I think I'll save it for a time when Link and Malon get a little more 'intimate'...::coughs:: yes, that was a spoiler...::cough:: I want to group all the desert events into one or two chapters so I guess that's partly the reason why this chapter was so short. Other then that, there's not much else to say. Enjoy?

Oh yeah and I'm posting the updated versions of chapters 4 and 5 along with this. Warning, chapter 4 is now freakishly emo...

**Lunatic Pandora1: **Well the half-link, half-cage thing is something that kind of already happens in that chapter, even if it's brief. As for the dual wielding thing, I absolutely agree, but what happens to their shields? I'm actually planning on putting a different spin to the shield part that will be more apparent in the next couple chapters. So stay tuned lol.

Thanks for reading and keep those reviews coming!


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